New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday, April 1, passed the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, formally recognising Amaravati as the capital of Andhra Pradesh, ending over a decade of uncertainty over the state’s seat of government following its bifurcation in 2014.
The Bill, introduced by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, was passed by voice vote with support from almost all parties. The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), however, walked out, contending that the legislation should have included a timeline for fulfilling promises made to farmers who gave up their land for the development of Amaravati.
The amendment substitutes the words “there shall be a new capital” in Section 5(2) of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, with “and Amaravati shall be the new capital.”
The 2014 Act had declared Hyderabad as the joint capital of Andhra Pradesh and the newly formed Telangana for a period not exceeding 10 years, after which Hyderabad would remain the capital of Telangana, while Andhra Pradesh was to have a new capital.
The move follows a resolution passed by the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on March 28, urging the Union Government to amend the 2014 Act and formally recognise Amaravati as the state capital.
Turbulent history
The question of Andhra Pradesh’s capital has had a turbulent history. When the YSRCP was in power, the state government had proposed a three-capital formula – Amaravati as the legislative capital, Kurnool as the judicial capital and Visakhapatnam as the executive capital – before withdrawing the plan in 2021.
Thanking members for their support, Rai expressed gratitude to the House for passing the legislation.
