Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu has urged his party members and followers to avoid spending on new year celebrations and instead donate the amount to the joint action committee (JAC) for protection of Amaravati as the state capital.

"With thousands of farmers hitting the streets, TDP has decided to stay away from new year celebrations this time," Naidu tweeted. Requesting party workers and leaders to contribute the money intended to be spent on new year celebrations to the JAC, Naidu also invited them to visit the Amaravati villages on the first day of the year and stand by the farmers. 

ఆంధ్రప్రదేశ్ లో వేలాది రైతు కుటుంబాలు రోడ్డెక్కి ఆందోళనలు చేస్తున్న దృష్ట్యా ఈ సారి నూతన సంవత్సర వేడుకలకు తెదేపా దూరంగా ఉండాలని నిర్ణయించింది.(1/2)

— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) December 30, 2019

The TDP government which lost power in the Assembly elections earlier this year, had chosen Amaravati as Andhra Pradesh's new capital, following the bifurcation of the state and formation of Telangana state. Around 25,000 farmers in the area had given their land measuring a total of 33,000 acres under a land pooling scheme for the capital city project.

With the YSRCP government announcing its decision to establish three capitals in Amaravati, Vizag and Kurnool with legislative, executive and judicial functions, farmers and landowners who had contributed their land and were promised developed plots in the capital have been protesting for two weeks now. They have been demanding that Amaravati must remain the sole capital of the state, and that the various proposed projects be resumed. 

Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan also visited the capital on Tuesday to extend his support to the protesting farmers. With the police reportedly stopping Pawan Kalyan from reaching Thullur through Mandadam, Pawan Kalyan and his aides staged a sit-in on the road at Mandadam. 

The YSR government's moves now to dilute the project by establishing three capitals with separate functions will end up causing immense problems to the farmers, the TDP has alleged.

The state government has appointed a High Power Committee to look into the expert committee’s recommendations to establish three capitals in the interest of decentralised development for the state. Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has also been roped in to study the issue, with its report due to be submitted on January 3. 

IANS Inputs