YCP hatched big conspiracy with 3-capitals plan: Naidu

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Monday launched a sharp political attack on the previous YSRCP government, accusing it of hatching a “big conspiracy” in the name of three capitals and leaving Andhra Pradesh without a functional capital, while asserting that his government has restored Amaravati’s primacy.

Addressing the Amarajeevi Potti Sriramulu Self-Sacrifice Day programme at Tummalapalli Kalakshetram here, Naidu said the three-capitals proposal had pushed the state into uncertainty and ridicule. “For years, we could not even name our capital. The state was made a laughingstock nationally and internationally. Today, we can say with confidence that our capital is Amaravati,” he said.

Linking the capital issue to Telugu self-respect, the Chief Minister invoked the legacy of Potti Sriramulu, describing him as a symbol of sacrifice beyond caste or political affiliation. He recalled Sriramulu’s 58-day fast that led to the formation of Andhra State on October 1, 1953, and later Andhra Pradesh as a linguistic State in 1956. Naidu announced that the government would officially observe Sriramulu’s self-sacrifice day as Sacrifice Day and continue celebrations of his birth centenary until March 16 next year. He said memorials would be developed in Amaravati, Nellore and Chennai, including preservation of the building in Chennai where Sriramulu undertook his fast. A memorial park and a ‘Statue of Sacrifice’ would also be built in Amaravati to inspire future generations. On governance and development, Naidu said Andhra Pradesh had lacked a permanent address historically,having developed Chennai, Kurnool and Hyderabad at different times. “Now we are developing Amaravati, while decentralising growth to Visakhapatnam and Tirupati,” he said, adding that the state was balancing agriculture-led growth with industrial expansion.

Citing an RBI report, he said Andhra Pradesh had emerged as a leading producer of fruits and fish and claimed the state had attracted investments worth Rs 21 lakh crore in the last 18 months.

He defended the public-private partnership (PPP) model, stating that even parliamentary committees had endorsed it, and clarified that medical colleges and other infrastructure developed under PPP would remain under government control.

Naidu also announced administrative and cultural decisions, including renaming Penugonda mandal in West Godavari district as Vasavi Penugonda and moving towards uniform ‘Arya Vysya’ community certification across regions. Arya Vysya women at the venue displayed placards thanking the Chief Minister for the renaming decision.

Naidu said the NDA coalition was committed to making Andhra Pradesh “number one” through a combination of development and welfare, asserting that upholding the spirit of Potti Sriramulu meant ensuring progress, dignity and unity for the Telugu people.