Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh questions Jagan’s ‘inconsistent stand’ over capital city

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Continuing to advocate a change in the capital is tantamount to disregarding the democratic mandate, says Minister for Tourism Kandula Durgesh. | Photo Credit: File Photo

Minister for Tourism, Culture and Cinematography Kandula Durgesh on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy over his recent remarks on the State capital and the 2029 Assembly elections, asserting that the capital city was not a political slogan but the future and self-respect of 5.5 crore people of Andhra Pradesh.

In a statement, Mr. Durgesh alleged that Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy had repeatedly changed his stand on the capital city project.

As Opposition leader, he had supported Amaravati in the Legislative Assembly. After assuming power, the former Chief Minister had proposed the three-capital model. And now, he was speaking about the Mangalagiri-Vijayawada-Guntur (MAVIGUN) region as an alternative to Amaravati, Mr. Durgesh said, and questioned the consistency of the YSRCP leader’s stance.

A State capital could not be changed at the convenience of political leaders, Mr. Durgesh asserted, and maintained that the capital served as the heart of a State and that stability was essential to attract investments and generate employment opportunities for the youth.

Mr. Durgesh warned that repeatedly changing the capital would hamper Andhra Pradesh’s development, and compared such decisions to demolishing the foundation of a house and rebuilding it every few years.

The Minister claimed that courts had rejected the proposal for multiple capitals and that people had also expressed their support for Amaravati in the 2024 elections.

“Continuing to advocate a change in the capital despite these developments is tantamount to disregarding the democratic mandate,” Mr. Durgesh observed.

He further accused the previous YSRCP government of failing to develop even a single capital during its five-year tenure. Uncertainty over the capital during the YSRCP terms had driven away investors,