New Delhi, April 7 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Centre issued a gazette notification on Monday giving Amaravati statutory status as the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh.

This followed after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which was passed by the Parliament last week.

Taking to the social media platform X, CM Naidu wrote, “I thank the Union Government led by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji for his commitment to our state and his guidance, all MPs who supported the Bill, our state leaders, and every citizen who stood with us. This is a victory for my people of Andhra Pradesh, especially my farmers of #Amaravati.”

He also expressed gratitude to President Droupadi Murmu for giving the nod to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

“On behalf of my people of Andhra Pradesh, I express profound gratitude to Hon’ble President Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji for her gracious assent to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Act, 2026, fulfilling the long-cherished dream of our capital,” he added.

As per the gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Act, 2026, shall be deemed to have come into force on June 2, 2024.

The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Act, 2026, amended the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

In the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, in section 5 (2), the words “and there shall be a new capital” have been replaced with “and Amaravati shall be the new capital”.

The expression “Amaravati” includes the capital city areas notified under the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014, reads the explanation of the Act.

The Parliament on April 2 gave its final approval to the Amendment Bill, officially designating Amaravati.

The Rajya Sabha passed the bill through a voice vote, a day after the Lok Sabha cleared it.

The enactment has ended years of uncertainty and political flip-flops over the capital issue that arose after the 2014 bifurcation of the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh. It effectively rules out any future attempts to alter the capital’s status or revive the previous three-capital model.

A total of 35 MPs in both Houses participated in the debate on the bill. Barring two MPs of the YSR Congress Party, all the MPs supported it.

YSRCP opposed the bill on the grounds that it failed to address the concerns of farmers, who gave their lands for the development of the state capital.

The foundation for Amaravati as the state capital was laid in 2015 when the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was in power. However, after YSRCP came to power in 2019, it stopped all the projects in Amaravati and mooted the idea of three capitals.

After the TDP-led NDA stormed to power in 2024, it decided to develop Amaravati as the only capital. The works were re-launched last year.

–IANS

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