The Lok Sabha unanimously approved the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, granting statutory recognition to Amaravati as the exclusive capital of Andhra Pradesh. The Bill’s passage, following a two-hour debate, received support from various political parties, including the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Congress, and the Samajwadi Party.
During the discussion, Dharmendra Yadav of the Samajwadi Party suggested that developing Visakhapatnam as the state capital could have avoided land acquisition from farmers and saved significant amounts of money. However, members of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) opposed the Bill and staged a walkout.
The legislative amendment aims to affirm Amaravati as Andhra Pradesh’s capital by modifying the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. The revised provision replaces the term “a new capital” with “Amaravati shall be the new capital,” firmly establishing Amaravati within the legal framework.
The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly’s unanimous resolution on March 28 paved the way for the Bill’s introduction in Parliament. The Amendment Bill clarifies that “Amaravati” encompasses the capital city areas designated under the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014.
Members of the TDP, BJP, and Jana Sena, part of the NDA government in Andhra Pradesh, strongly advocated for the Bill. Various political parties, including Congress, Samajwadi Party, NCP, Shiv Sena, and SAD, extended their support for Amaravati as the capital.
