In a latest comment, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy went a step ahead and made a highly explosive comment on Amaravati Capital. It came in an interview to The Hindustan Times. He said it was ‘perverted thinking’ to aim at developing a single high revenue-earning city as Capital for any State. This comment is obviously intended to mock former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s frequent statements that Andhra Pradesh can get development on a par with its neighbouring States only when its Capital is visualised and developed like a big metro city like Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore.

In the process, CM Jagan cited how a small town like Omaha was generating huge revenue because of the presence of world’s top billionaire Warren Buffett there. Similarly, Seattle was a relatively smaller place but the location of Microsoft has made a high revenue earning place. So, Jagan Reddy says revenue should not be the criterion for selection of Capital location. But, his past statements run totally contrary to this.

CM Jagan supported his 3 Capitals idea, saying that all three regions would see development if they each get Capitals. Development comes to a place where there are more industries, more jobs, more people, more revenue, more money in circulation and more economic activity. The CM also said that Visakhapatnam is a better Executive Capital since it is a big city already and would require far lesser expenditure compared to Amaravati.

Analysts say that CM Jagan’s mutually contradictory statements are only contributing to greater confusion while it is a fact that Amravati would eventually end up like a protracted litigation just like Ayodhya tangle. Where a large number of people are involved, the litigation would naturally go in favour of them. Jagan Reddy should aim at winning the court battle rather than continuing his Government’s aggressive propaganda.