Amaravati continues to be the state capital, The future Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu said on Tuesday. Addressing NDA's new members of the legislature, who elected him as leader, he said his government was for the development of Amaravati as the state capital and not to put its future at risk by having oscillations on the capital issue.
He rued: “Even after 10 years we are not in a position to say where is our state capital,” he said, slamming the previous government of YSR Congress Party for putting a halt to the development of Amaravati as the state capital.
The 2019-elected government, headed by Jagan Mohan Reddy, also scrapped the decision of its predecessor TDP government to develop Amaravati as the capital and instead decided to have three different capitals — administrative capital in Visakhapatnam, the judicial capital in Kurnool, and retaining Amaravati as the legislative capital.
“Our capital is Amaravati,” declared Naidu, who is set to take oath as the Chief Minister on Wednesday.
He promised that Visakhapatnam would be developed as a financial hub and a smart city, and Kurnool would be developed in all aspects.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NDA leaders likely to take part in the Wednesday event, Naidu stated that without the support of the Center, the state would not develop.
Vowing to conduct governance that is dedicated to the welfare of the people, the Chief Minister-elect also promised to complete the Polavaram project quickly, saying although the TDP government did 72% of the project works, the rest will be done with the help of the central government.
There is a resolve to make sure that there is no recurrence of such a thing as the demolition of Praja Vedika, a meeting hall attached to his residence, by the previous government.
He criticized the politics of vendetta of the previous government and insisted on constructive politics.
Pointing at the electoral success of the TDP and its allies like never before, taking 93% of the seats in the state, Naidu emphasized his commitment to meeting the expectations of the electorate through the rejuvenation of the state.
He praised Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan for joining hands with the TDP when he was in jail and said that the subsequent alliance by the BJP helped further consolidate anti-YSRCP votes.
Naidu repeated charges of maladministration against the YSRCP government and promised not to spare any wrongdoer.
He assured that he would come back to the Assembly after being exonerated in the court of the people in reference to how his family was treated on the floor of the House.
Having been Chief Minister for 14 years and Leader of the Opposition for 15, Naidu vowed that he would run Andhra Pradesh with a renewed vigour in turning the adversities into advantages.
“Andhra Pradesh has many problems. The state is in complete ruins. All sections have suffered. Farmers have landed in debt,” he said.
Mr Naidu promised that his movements will not come in the way of the people and that the officials should not trouble the people while his convoy moved through, driving home the point that the chief minister is a public servant, not a symbol of the public.
“Chief Minister is also an ordinary man. The post is for service and not for supremacy. I have told (police) not to inconvenience people during the movement of my convoy,” he said
