Mavigun vs Amaravati to be Jagan’s agenda for Andhra assembly polls

REjecting Amaravati as the working capital of Andhra Pradesh, YSR united states congress company (YSRCP) chairwoman and former chief government minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday announced that his party would contest the next assembly elections with the slogan of developing the “Machilipatnam-Vijayawada-Guntur” (Mavigun) corridor as the new state capital.Speaking to reporters at his residence, Jagan unveiled “Mavigun” as the YSRCP’s political agenda for the 2029 assembly elections.“The next elections will be fought on the issue of Mavigun versus Amaravati. Those who accept Mavigun as the capital region will vote for the YSRCP and those who accept Amaravati as the capital may vote for the TDP. Let us see what will happen,” Jagan said.Declaring that the YSRCP was committed to the Mavigun concept, Jagan said the proposal would be incorporated into the party’s election manifesto and that the people of Andhra Pradesh would ultimately decide which vision they supported.The former chief minister alleged that the recent visit by YSRCP leaders to Amaravati was deliberately portrayed as an attempt to oppose the state capital. He said his party was trying to expose massive corruption and irregularities allegedly being carried out in the name of the capital city.Jagan claimed that party representatives who visited the capital region after farmers requested them to do so were attacked and that criminal cases were subsequently registered against the victims instead of the attackers.“Our criticism was directed at alleged scams and the hardships faced by farmers in the Amaravati capital region. Farmers whose lands were acquired for the capital project continue to raise concerns and question why they are still facing unresolved issues,” he said.Jagan alleged that those questioning developments in Amaravati were being branded as troublemakers and subjected to police action. “This is a serious misuse of police machinery,” he alleged.Responding sharply to Jagan’s remarks, Andhra Pradesh tourism minister Kandula Durgesh accused the former chief minister of attempting to create a fresh political controversy over the state capital.In a statement, the minister asserted that Amaravati was not a matter of political convenience or the personal preference of those in power, but a symbol of the self-respect and future aspirations of over 55 million people of Andhra Pradesh.Durgesh alleged that Jagan had first endorsed Amaravati in the assembly, later proposed multiple capitals after assuming office, and was now introducing Mavigun as a new concept.Questioning Jagan’s consistency, the minister said a state capital cannot be changed according to political expediency and compared repeated attempts to alter the capital to demolishing the foundation of a house and rebuilding it every five years.The minister argued that a stable capital is essential for attracting investment and generating employment for the youth. Frequent changes in the capital policy, he said, undermine investor confidence and impede the state’s economic development.