Sitting BJP MP from Andhra Pradesh, TG Venkatesh, triggered a fresh bout of speculation on Monday after he claimed that the state government led by the YSRCP may consider going for four capitals.
“Like four seasons, we can have four capitals in the state. Whatever Jagan plans on doing, it is evident that the centralisation of Amaravati would be disturbed,” Venkatesh told reporters in Kurnool on Sunday.
Stating that Jagan had spoken to the senior leadership of the BJP in New Delhi about it, Venkatesh said that he learnt about the proposal from a leader in the national capital, who he did not want to name.
“Jagan will scrap the existing state planning board and go ahead with four planning boards in four regions; Rayalaseema, Ongole-Guntur-Nellore, Krishna-Godavari and Srikakulam-Vizag-Vizianagaram, to develop each region. This is why Jagan had even appointed five deputy CMs from across the state, to oversee the regional capitals. I'm sure people of all regions will welcome this decision," Venkatesh added.
Venkatesh, who had joined the BJP from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) earlier this year, pointed out that Jagan had even made a similar promise on decentralising the capital, during his padayatra ahead of the elections, to ensure development in all regions of the state.
The reported proposal to 'shift' Amaravati has been in the news since a statement made by Andhra Pradesh Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Minister Botcha Satyanarayana last week. Speaking to reporters, the YSRCP leader had said that there was a need to reconsider if Amaravati was safe to be the state's capital, as the region along the banks of the Krishna river was flood-prone.
This had set off a controversy, with locals and opposition leaders expressing doubts, even as the YSRCP insisted that Amaravati would continue to grow as a city and there was no need to panic.
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