Jagan’s 3-capital plan stuck, Andhra hems and haws ahead of June 2 deadline on Hyderabad

With the deadline for Hyderabad remaining the joint capital of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana set to expire on June 2, opinion in the ruling YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh appears divided, with key leaders speaking in different voices.

As per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, Hyderabad was to be the joint capital of the two states for 10 years, from June 2014 till June 2, 2024, after which it would be the capital of Telangana alone, as the city is located inside its territory.

On Tuesday, YSRCP MP Y V Subba Reddy, the former chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and a key aide of Andhra Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, said Hyderabad should continue as the joint capital until the state had a capital of its own. On Wednesday, however, senior minister Botsa Satyanarayana said it was not feasible to continue with Hyderabad as the joint capital beyond the deadline, a statement that is being seen as damage control by the ruling party.

Subba Reddy, who is also the regional coordinator for North Andhra Pradesh, made the remarks at Visakhapatnam, while speaking about developing the city as Andhra’s administrative capital. Stressing that developing Visakhapatnam as the capital was prudent, as it is already a developed city and does not need a huge financial commitment, he said a section of the YSRCP believed Hyderabad should continue as the capital for some more time. Subba Reddy also pointed to the legal wrangles which had delayed the CM’s plans to have Visakhapatnam as the administrative capital.

Sources said Subba Reddy, who just received a Rajya Sabha nomination, was echoing the CM’s views. Jagan is believed to have deferred his Visakhapatnam plans as he is currently focused on winning the Assembly polls that