New Delhi, April 2 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Minister for Human Resources Development Nara Lokesh, along with NDA MPs, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to thank him for the passage of the Amaravati Bill in Parliament to give statutory recognition to Amaravati as the sole and permanent capital of the state.

Lokesh, who is also the general secretary of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), presented a shawl to the Prime Minister and conveyed his gratitude.

“It was a privilege to meet Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji. I conveyed the heartfelt gratitude of crores of people of Andhra Pradesh for the Amaravati Bill being passed in Parliament,” Lokesh posted on ‘X’ after meeting PM Modi.

“I also shared the extraordinary story of our farmers – who made immense sacrifices, pooling their lands and standing resilient through years of uncertainty – to keep the dream of Amaravati alive. I sought his continued guidance in honouring their sacrifice by building Amaravati into a truly world-class capital,” he added.

Later, Lokesh, along with the NDA MPs from the state, also met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and thanked him for the cooperation in passing the Bill.

Lokesh was accompanied by Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu, Minister of State for Rural Development Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani and MPs from TDP, Jana Sena and BJP.

“He earlier interacted with the NDA MPs. This morning, it was a pleasure to meet our NDA MPs who stood firm for the state, and for our farmers, as the Amaravati Bill moves through both Houses of Parliament,” Lokesh posted on ‘X’.

The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2026 was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

The Bill is scheduled to come up for debate in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. It is also likely to be passed unanimously in the Upper House.

Lokesh is in the national capital to witness the Rajya Sabha proceedings.

He is also scheduled to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Vice President of India and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, C.P. Radhakrishnan, to convey the gratitude of the people of Andhra Pradesh.

The proposed amendment to Section 5 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, replaces the earlier provision of “a new capital” with “Amaravati shall be the new capital”, thereby embedding Amaravati firmly within the statutory framework.

This legislative move follows the unanimous resolution passed by the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on March 28, enabling the Bill’s introduction in Parliament.

–IANS

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