Hyderabad(Hyd): With Amaravati all set to be scrapped as AP’s capital, that going to as of now be decentralized between 3 cities, biography continues to repeat itself for the Andhra & Rayalaseema areas, that were facing travails when it comes to capitals.
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) supremo & AP chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s latest move is yet the other call that would alter the course of biography for the state.
Last week, AP Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan gave his own assent to the AP Decentralisation & Inclusive Development (devt) of all Areas Bill-2020 & the APCRDA (Repeal) Bill -2020, paving the way for the state’s capital to be decentralized with the legislative capital being in Amaravati, executive in Visakhapatnam &, judicial in Kurnool.
The biography
Awhile Telangana (TL) has been bifurcated from that erstwhile state of AP in 2014, it may be recalled that the current state of AP is not a new state however 1 that existed between 1953 & 1956, till it has been merged with the Telangana (TL) area, to create AP on one Nov, 1956.
Between 1953 & 1956, Kurnool has been the capital for the Andhra areas, that had separated from that erstwhile Madras Presidency.
Telangana (TL), till 1956, has been part of the erstwhile State of Hyderabad(Hyd), that has been trifurcated in 1956, with the Marathi talking dists (5) going to Maharashtra(MH) & the Kannada talking dists (3) going to Karnataka(KA).
It may be recalled that chiefs of the residuary state of AP, that existed from 1953 to 1956, had in reality insisted Chennai as their own capital.
Although, with the creation of AP (merged with Telangana (TL)), it seemed as in case its issues have been solved.
Although, because of different problems like cultural differences (between Andhra & Telangana (TL) people) & emotions of domination from coastal Andhra chiefs (& citizens in gen.
across all spheres), Telangana (TL)’s insist for separate state started.
It 1st triggered main rallies in 1969, & thereafter, successfully in 2009, that culminated in Telangana (TL) gaining separate statehood in 2014.
Over anything else, it has been well understood afterwards that one such main reasons over Telangana (TL)’s bifurcation has been Hyderabad(Hyd); in that numerous from that Andhra areas had invested in over decades.
However what has been finished couldn’t be undone, & Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu, who had become chief minister of AP in 2014, ruled to create Amaravati, despite of Hyderabad(Hyd) being the joint capital of the 2 Telugu states until 2024.
A political move to erase Naidu’s legacy?
Political vendetta is not unusual. The incumbent AP chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has in a step-by-step way seemingly wiped out the legacy of his own predecessor & Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu, with the final nail within the coffin being the decentralization of the state’s capital.
Besides, with the COVID-19 (COVID-19-19) epidemic still raging, the main opposition TDP can’t afford to mobilize the people as it’ll rise the risk of spreading the infection.
“It’s a foregone conclusion that Amaravati would’ve had Naidu’s name in case the city were constructed.
Within the Amaravati region, only a segment of citizens are from that Kamma society (to that Naidu belongs), awhile the rest pertain to the SC & Backward Lessons communities.
This decentralization is a political move,” stated a TDP leader from AP, who didn’t need to be quoted.
Although, much before this development (devt), the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) govt had gradually started killing the project after it had come to power with a thumping victory during this 2019 state & gen. elections.
The main blow to Amaravati had come within the form of the Globe Bank withdrawing its funding of $300 mln for the capital city project previous year.
YSRP functionaries, although, defended the move to decentralize AP’s capital, stating that Naidu’s new capital would’ve only benefited citizens in that region alone, & left out remaining, specially within the Rayalaseema area, in a disadvantage.
“The problem of AP’s capital was a political problem from the 1950s & as of now there going to be 3 capitals for 6 areas.
In its current decentralization move, the YSRCP-government has a visible agenda (decentralization) & a hidden agenda, that is to close TDP’s chapter in AP’s political biography,” stated Prof. E. Venkatesu, a political dept.
science faculty member from University of Hyderabad(Hyd).