The three capitals issue again came into the spotlight.

The Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday passed eight crucial bills including the Capital Region Development Authority Repeal Bill 2020 and the AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of all Regions Bill 2020, the first steps the ruling YSRCP dispensation took in decentralizing the state’s capital between Amaravati, Visakhapatnam and Kurnool. Currently, the issue is pending in the Andhra Pradesh High Court. Despite this, the state government got the two bills passed in the Assembly.

The two bills were introduced in the two-day assembly session to decentralize the state’s capital and replace the APCRDA with the AMDA. Both have been passed as the ruling government enjoys a majority of 151 in the 175-member Assembly. However, it has only nine members in the legislative council, out of 58, while the TDP enjoys a majority of 28 there. But with the TDP boycotting the Assembly on Wednesday, the bills were passed without any protest. In the first Assembly session after YSRCP rode to power, the Andhra Pradesh government’s proposal to trifurcate the capital was stalled by TDP with its majority in the council.

Earlier, Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan ascertained that the Andhra Pradesh government was committed to create three capitals terming the decision as “wise” even as the decision was challenged in the High Court by the Amaravati farmers. Addressing a joint sitting of the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly via video conference from Raj Bhavan, the Governor said the Andhra Pradesh government took a prudent decision to three capitals – Executive at Visakhapatnam, Legislative at Amaravati, and Judiciary at Kurnool.