Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy
Adding a new twist to the ongoing row over future of Andhra Pradesh capital Amaravati, a BJP MP said Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy may go for four capitals.
Rajya Sabha member T.G. Venkatesh claimed that the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government may not develop everything at one place and instead go for decentralisation with four capitals in four different regions of the state.
Venkatesh said Jagan Reddy discussed his proposal to some senior leaders of BJP in New Delhi.
The MP said he learnt from one of the BJP leaders that Jagan Reddy will go for four capitals.
Venkatesh, who recently defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), claimed Jagan Reddy was keen to ensure the development of all regions and hence he mooted the proposal.
The MP, who hails from Kurnool in Rayalaseema region, also claimed that one of the capitals would come up in the region.
The other regions, according to him will be Ongole-Guntur-Nellore, Krishna-Godavari and Srikakulam-Visakhapatnam-Vizianagaram.
Venkatesh revealed this at a time when contradictory statements by ministers and YSRCP leaders have created confusion on whether the capital will be shifted from Amaravati.
Ever since YSRCP came to power in May, all works on various components of the capital came to a halt as it decided to review the contracts given by the previous TDP government.
Minister for Urban Development Botsa Satyanarayana recently stated that the region along Krishna river is flood-prone and hence there is a need to reconsider Amaravati as the capital.
He later claimed that his statement was distorted by a section of media. He said the government would soon announce its policy.
Some YSRCP leaders denied any move to shift the capital but hinted that it would not be on the grand scale planned by then Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
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