TDP asks YSRC govt to seek fresh mandate over 3 capitals; MLC quits Council

Ravi is the first legislator to quit his post protesting the move to have three capitals for the state -- the Executive Capital in Visakhapatnam, Legislative in Amaravati and Judicial in Kurnool. Naidu also warned that if Chief Minister Y S Jagan Reddy did not come out with a proper response, the TDP along with the other opposition parties would intensify their agitation.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) member Mareddy Ravindranath Reddy on Monday tendered his resignation from the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council, protesting the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy governments decision to go ahead with three capitals move. TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu, on the other hand, gave the YSR Congress government 48 hours to either drop the three capitals idea or seek a fresh mandate from people by dissolving the Legislative Assembly.

"If people vote the YSRC back to power, we will respect their verdict and not raise any objection to the three capitals plan," he said in a video address. Ravi, alias B.Tech Ravi, said he has sent in his resignation to the Council Chairman M A Sharif.

He was elected to the Council from the Kadapa Local Authorities Constituency in 2017 and had tenure till March 2023. Ravi is the first legislator to quit his post protesting the move to have three capitals for the state -- the Executive Capital in Visakhapatnam, Legislative in Amaravati and Judicial in Kurnool.

Naidu also warned that if Chief Minister Y S Jagan Reddy did not come out with a proper response, the TDP along with the other opposition parties would intensify their agitation. In a statement, Naidu maintained Jagan Reddy and his party YSRCP in the 2019 election campaign had promised that Amaravati would continue to be the capital city and that it would be fully developed.

"Now, the CM has no right to shift Amaravati Capital without the approval of all 5 crore people of the state... If the CM was thinking he had public support, he could as well get a proper mandate for the same by going for election," he said.

On July 31 the state government notified the AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act, 2020,and the AP Capital Region Development Authority (Repeal) Act, 2020, immediately afterGovernor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan gave his assent to the two controversial laws. The state Legislative Council did not clear the two Bills and had referred them to Select Committees for deeper examination but the committees never took shape.

As per the provisions of the Constitution, the Governor gave assent to the two new laws, paving the way for the government to go ahead with its plans of having three capitals for the state. All opposition parties have been staunchly opposing the three capitals idea, demanding that Amaravati be continued as the full-fledged capital of the bifurcated state.