All eyes on BJP-YCP affidavits on Capital shifting

The High Court of Andhra Pradesh has indeed pushed the BJP and YCP into a corner by asking for affidavits on the political parties’ stand on Amaravati Capital before and after 2019 election. Especially, the BJP would find it indeed a very tight-rope walk to strike a balance in its arguments. Its alliance partner Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena has already filed its affidavit categorically favouring only one Capital which should be at Amaravati. It has opposed 3 Capitals.

Ever since the Capital shifting row came to the fore, the BJP has been speaking in two voices. Its leaders Somu Veerraju and GVL Narasimha Rao have been consistently saying that the AP Government has a right to change Capital. The Central Government has no role to play in this. At the same time, they are saying that the previous TDP regime has failed to complete the Capital within five years of its rule. However, AP should protect the interests of Amaravati farmers in the event of forming 3 Capitals.

All such confusing arguments so far made by the BJP and its Spokesman GVL would not help to satisfy the High Court now at this juncture. The BJP would have to simply say whether it supports Amaravati as only Capital City or not prior to election and what its present stand is. BJP has been arguing that it has always asked for the High Court in Kurnool, which is a matter for political debates but not filing affidavits in the court.

On its part, YCP will have a very tough time to support its 3 Capitals plan. CM Jagan Reddy himself welcomed Amaravati Capital in the Assembly before elections but later he came up with 3 Capitals in the name of development of all regions. How YCP would now explain its changed positions in its court affidavit is now a matter of curiosity?