A resolution to this effect was passed in the state Assembly on March 28, paving the way for the Bill. (File Photo)The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, will be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, officially recognising Amaravati as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh. A resolution to this effect was passed in the state Assembly on March 28, paving the way for the Bill.A statement from Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s office said it will give statutory clarity to what the TDP-led NDA government has been building toward. With the backing of the BJP and NDA allies, the Bill is expected to pass smoothly.In the special Assembly session on March 28, Naidu said that legal certainty on the capital issue could be achieved only through suitable amendments to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. Accordingly, the Assembly resolved to request the Government of India to amend Section 5 of the Act by including the words “at Amaravati” in sub-section (2), and by expanding the explanation to clarify that Amaravati includes areas notified under the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014.The amendments to make Amaravati the one and only capital of Andhra Pradesh — and its permanent capital — have been proposed to remove the ambiguity created by the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government, which had proposed decentralised development and three separate capital cities: Amaravati as the legislative capital, Visakhapatnam as the administrative capital, and Kurnool as the judicial capital.However, during his five years in power from June 2019 to May 2024, Jagan did not take any steps to create the separate capitals, leaving the state effectively without a functional capital city. The capital city development that took place at Amaravati during the Telugu Desam Party’s rule from 2014 to 2019 was abandoned, with buildings left at various stages of construction, turning it into a ghost town.After returning to power, Chandrababu Naidu vowed not only to complete the capital city but also to expand its scope and scale, proposing an international airport and a major railway junction. The AP Capital Region Development Authority has commenced works worth over Rs 90,000 crore in the capital city region.In addition to the 34,241 acres pooled from farmers, the government is acquiring another 30,000 acres through land pooling to expand the capital region.Story continues below this adThe greenfield Amaravati capital city, as envisaged by Chandrababu Naidu, covers a 217 sq km capital region. The Secretariat, Legislative Complex, High Court building, bungalows for senior IAS and IPS officers, High Court judges, Ministers, MLAs and MLCs, and premium flats for All India Service officers and senior officials are located in Velagapudi village.Within the larger capital region, the AP government plans to establish nine theme cities — Knowledge City, Health City, Electronics City, Tourism City, Justice City, Media City, Sports City, Finance City, and Government City, the last of which is known as Amaravati. The overall capital region plan proposed by Naidu is a vast 7,420 sq km metropolitan area covering Vijayawada city and its surrounding areas, and the districts of Guntur and Krishna, of which 217 sq km constitutes the capital, Amaravati.Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance. Expertise and Experience Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues: High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy. Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules. Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes. Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak. Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Andhra Pradeshlok sabha session