The capital of Andhra Pradesh is Amaravati, a greenfield city being developed on the southern banks of the Krishna River in Guntur district. After a decade of political flip-flops — including a three-capital proposal and a Supreme Court challenge — the state government under Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reaffirmed in 2024 that Amaravati is the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh, reviving construction and administrative relocation.
For UPSC aspirants, the Amaravati story is a live case study in state reorganisation, cooperative federalism, land pooling, and constitutional adjudication — directly relevant to GS Paper 2.
The Reorganisation of 2014
The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 bifurcated the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh into:
- Telangana — carved out as the 29th state, with Hyderabad as its capital.
- Residuary Andhra Pradesh — retained the name but lost Hyderabad and nine surrounding districts.
The Act made Hyderabad the common capital for a period not exceeding ten years (Section 5). This sunset clause expired on 2 June 2024, exactly ten years after the appointed day of bifurcation.
The Act also set up a committee under Shivaramakrishnan (K. C. Sivaramakrishnan Committee, 2014) to suggest a new capital. The committee recommended a decentralised model — not one mega-capital but multiple centres — to avoid over-concentration.
The Birth of Amaravati (2014–2019)
Despite the Sivaramakrishnan recommendation, the Chandrababu Naidu government (TDP) in 2014–19 chose a single mega-capital approach. The location selected was the fertile Krishna-Guntur plain, renamed Amaravati — evoking the historic Satavahana-era Amaravati, a Buddhist cultural hub.
Key features of the Amaravati project:
- Land Pooling Scheme (LPS): around 34,000 acres pooled from 29 villages; farmers surrendered land voluntarily in exchange for developed residential and commercial plots plus an annuity for ten years.
- Foundation stone: laid on 22 October 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Uddandarayunipalem.
- Masterplan: designed with inputs from Singapore consultants (Surbana Jurong) and later Norman Foster for iconic government buildings.
- Financing: World Bank and ADB loans were mobilised but later withdrawn in 2019 after the change of government.
The Three-Capital Proposal (2020)
After the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) under Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy swept the 2019 state elections, the government shifted direction. In 2020, the state passed:
- Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act, 2020
- Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (Repeal) Act, 2020
These laws proposed three capitals:
| City | Function | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Visakhapatnam | Executive capital (seat of CM and Secretariat) | Coastal Andhra (Uttarandhra) |
| Amaravati | Legislative capital (Assembly) | Central Andhra |
| Kurnool | Judicial capital (High Court) | Rayalaseema |
The rationale cited was regional balance — distributing development across the three regions of the state.
Legal and Political Backlash
Amaravati farmers and the TDP challenged the move:
- Farmers' protest at Amaravati became one of India's longest continuous agitations, crossing 2,000 days by 2025.
- Andhra Pradesh High Court (March 2022): ruled that the state cannot shift the capital and directed the government to develop Amaravati as the sole capital within six months, holding that land pooling created a binding contract with farmers. It further observed that the state legislature has no power to legislate on shifting the state capital in the absence of a specific enabling provision.
- YSRCP government appealed to the Supreme Court; the matter remained pending.
- November 2021: state withdrew the 2020 three-capital Acts and introduced a fresh bill, which was later also withdrawn.
Reversal in 2024
The political scene shifted again with the June 2024 state elections, in which the TDP–Jana Sena–BJP NDA alliance won decisively. Chandrababu Naidu returned as Chief Minister and announced:
- Amaravati as the sole capital — no more three-capital plan.
- Relocation of Secretariat and Assembly fully to Amaravati.
- Revival of construction — completion targets for Legislative Assembly, High Court complex, and Secretariat towers.
- Fresh financing: World Bank and ADB approved approximately USD 800 million in loans in 2024–25 for Amaravati infrastructure.
- Hyderabad residual status ended on 2 June 2024; Andhra Pradesh vacated assets as per the sunset clause.
Geographical and Historical Context
- Location: Amaravati lies on the south bank of the Krishna River, between Vijayawada and Guntur, in Guntur district.
- Historical Amaravati: capital of the Satavahana dynasty (2nd century BCE–2nd century CE); home to the famous Amaravati Stupa and the Mahachaitya, key sites of early Mahayana Buddhism.
- Climate: tropical, hot summers; prone to cyclones and floods — an issue flagged by critics regarding the location.
- Nearby: Vijayawada (commercial hub), Guntur (administrative), Mangalagiri (textile town).
Key Institutions Planned at Amaravati
- Legislative Assembly and Council Complex (Norman Foster design).
- High Court of Andhra Pradesh (currently functioning from temporary premises in Amaravati since 2019).
- Secretariat towers, Raj Bhavan, CM's residence.
- SRM University, VIT, Amrita University and IIIT campuses.
- Amaravati Metro proposed.
- International airport at Nagayalanka or integration with Vijayawada (Gannavaram) airport.
Comparison: AP Capital Journey at a Glance
| Year | Development |
|---|---|
| 1953 | Andhra State formed, capital Kurnool. |
| 1956 | Andhra Pradesh formed (merger with Hyderabad State), capital Hyderabad. |
| 2014 | Telangana bifurcated; Hyderabad becomes common capital for 10 years. |
| 2015 | Amaravati foundation laid; land pooling begins. |
| 2019 | YSRCP wins; Amaravati project stalls. |
| 2020 | Three-capital legislation passed. |
| 2022 | AP High Court strikes down three-capital plan. |
| 2024 | Hyderabad sunset ends; TDP returns; Amaravati revived as sole capital. |
Federalism and Governance Lessons
The Amaravati saga highlights several UPSC-relevant themes:
- Fiscal federalism — the Union’s promise of a Special Category Status to AP (never granted; instead a “special package”) remains a political grievance.
- Legislative competence of states on administrative arrangements — the High Court's 2022 ruling narrowed the field.
- Public consultation in mega-projects — the contrast between land pooling (consent-based) and land acquisition (LARR Act 2013).
- Policy continuity across governments — the capital question exposed how political change can disrupt infrastructure planning.
- Regional equity — the tension between concentration (Amaravati) and dispersal (three-capital) models.
UPSC Relevance
GS Paper 2 — Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States; issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure; devolution of powers and finances; State reorganisation.
GS Paper 3 — Infrastructure; land reforms; inclusive growth.
Essay paper — Balanced regional development, federal cooperation.
Key Prelims facts:
- Capital of Andhra Pradesh: Amaravati (sole capital since 2024).
- Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act: 2014; appointed day — 2 June 2014.
- Hyderabad common-capital tenure: 10 years (ended 2 June 2024).
- Capital committee: Sivaramakrishnan Committee (2014).
- Foundation stone of Amaravati: 22 October 2015.
- Amaravati river: Krishna; district — Guntur.
- Three-capital plan (2020): Visakhapatnam (executive), Amaravati (legislative), Kurnool (judicial) — quashed by High Court in 2022, formally withdrawn in 2024.
- Historical Amaravati: capital of the Satavahana dynasty; major Buddhist stupa site.
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