In 2019 elections, YCP won both the two assembly segments in Amaravati Capital City. But Jagan Reddy party suffered big defeat in all the four segments in Visakhapatnam. YCP candidates were defeated in Vizag North, East, West and South MLA seats. Now, Jagan reversed his electoral games. He has cancelled local polls in Amaravati obviously because he lost confidence in support of voters there. On the other hand, Vijayasai is praying to Vizag voters not to repeat 2019 verdict in local polls. He is praying them to put YCP candidate in Vizag Mayor’s seat.

But, there are widespread reports that the Vizag people are not so happy about Executive Capital status. Rival commentators are long saying that Vizagites like peaceful co-existence and they cannot live with something like Pulivendula panchayats. However, Vijayasai Reddy is saying the time has come for Vizag voters to prove their loyalty to Jagan Reddy. The CM has given a golden gift to them. They would not have dreamt of getting Capital status ever.

As elections are cancelled, Amaravati voters have no chance to defeat YCP thereby showing their disapproval of Capital shifting. But, Vizagites have got the opportunity to elect YCP candidates in all local bodies thereby giving their approval for Capital. Will Vizag voters put their stamp on Jagan’s reverse electoral games with voters?

AP CM YS Jaganmohan Reddy who is hell bent on ‘killing’ Amaravathi capital city, even since he became CM in May 2019, has dealt yet another big blow to Amaravathi.

Jagan has reportedly decided to scrap Anatapur-Amaravathi Greenfield express highway project.

The project was launched by previous TDP government to connect Amaravathi capital city with Rayalaseema region by laying express highway.

Jagan is learnt to have decided to remove Amaravathi from this project and confine the highway only from Anantapur to Chilakaluripeta in Guntur.

At a time, when farmers in Amaravathi capital region are strongly protesting against Jagan’s decision to shift Amaravathi capital and create three capitals for AP, the CM has taken another decision to cut express highway project in Amaravathi and cut the express highway road linkage between Amaravathi and Rayalaseema.

However, Jagan is trying to blame the AP’s financial crisis for scrapping the highway project saying that AP cannot afford to bear costs for land acquisition for this project.

Despite Centre agreeing to bear 50% of total Rs 25,000 crore project cost, Jagan reportedly said that AP government cannot afford even the remaining 50% cost due to present financial crisis.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy is already facing severe backlash from various quarters on Amaravathi capital issue.

He is also facing cases in AP High Court for his decision to create three capitals by setting up executive capital in Vizag and legal capital in Kurnool and confine Amaravathi to remain as only legislative capital, from where only Legislative Assembly works.

Farmers in 29 villages in Amaravathi capital region, along with Opposition parties and civil organisations are agitating for nearly three months demanding Jagan to continue only Amaravathi as full-fledged capital.

They have also filed cases against Jagan in the High Court.

Despite all this, Jagan remains adamant on his decision.

Now, NRIs living in US have joined hands to take legal action against Jagan over Amaravathi issue.

They have filed a petition in the International Criminal Court (ICC), Hague, Netherlands, challenging Jagan’s decision on three capitals.

They brought to the notice the international court that Jagan as Leader of Opposition between 2014 and 2019 had supported Amaravathi capital announced by previous TDP government in the Assembly but he has now ditched the people by deciding to shift Amaravathi capital and create three capitals for AP after becoming Chief Minister of AP in May 2019.

In the petition, the NRIs sought international court to direct AP government to continue Amaravathi as the capital of AP as it is and do justice for Amaravathi farmers.

The court admitted the petition and is expected to begin hearing on the case very soon.

Governed by an international treaty called the Rome Statute, the International Criminal Court is the world’s first permanent international criminal court.

The ICC investigates and where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community, genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.

The Jagan Reddy government is making all arrangements to distribute nearly 1251 acres of Amaravati Capital City lands as house sites to over 54,000 poor beneficiaries. This distribution will be taken up in the coming Ugadi festival season and part of Jagan grand plan to give 25 lakh house sites to poor families all over the state. Latest reports are that the AP Government has decided to distribute these Capital City lands to poor families of Pedakakani, Mangalagiri, Duggirala and Vijayawada city areas.

There are doubts whether the poor beneficiaries will have any advantage if they are given house sites in faraway places in Amaravati Capital City villages. Moreover, there’s would be no future development in those villages as Executive Capital is being shifted to Vizag.

The Amaravati farmers said that this would not be possible as the court would certainly give orders against the unjust decision of the YCP government. The farmers already filed cases challenging the government’s Capital shifting move.

For the last 65 days, the farmers are continuing their agitation in Amaravati Capital City villages despite arrests and lathicharge. However, there was largely no big hurdle to local administration. But now, things are turning hostile. The farmers are confronting the officials who are coming to do layouts in their lands for distributing house sites to the poor people. It reached a flash point when a woman MRO’s car was immobilised by the agitators for over seven hours. She was released only after top bureaucrats promosed not to send officials without prior information. The agitated farmers gave an ultimatum to the government that they would not release any officer who comes to take their lands next time.

The situation is fast slipping out of the control for the administration. The farmers are almost leading a civil disobedience movement just like the freedom fighters in Indian independence struggle. The police officers are already very cautious regarding Amaravati farmers because of the High Court orders. Now, the revenue officials are also under fear of the desperation being shown by the farmers. This gave a serious setback to CM Jagan’s plan to give away Capital City lands as house sites. No doubt, the situation is turning bad to worse in Amaravati.