Amaravati, December 31: Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday, December 30, criticised the YSRCP-led Andhra Pradesh government's proposal to decentralise Amaravati as the administrative capital for Visakhapatnam and make Amaravati the legislative capital and Kurnool as the judicial capital. Andhra Pradesh: TDP Leaders Put Under House Arrest Day Ahead of Cabinet Meeting to Approve Three-Capital Proposal.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Naidu said that shift a capital is a "mad decision" and chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy will have to pay a "heavy penalty for the same." "I will continue to fight along with farmers for retaining Amaravati. I will see that the capital shift does not happen. Not only me, all the parties, except YSR Congress party, are with the farmers," he said. We Are Against Shifting of Administrative Capital to Visakhapatnam: Amaravati Parirakshna Samiti.

Actor-politician and Jana Sena Party (JSP) president Pawan Kalyan has also opposed the Andhra government's move. Kalyan said that the Chief Minister is "confusing and worrying the farmers of Amaravati" and asked Jagan to clarify whether he is a representative of the state or a particular region.

Earlier this month, a committee headed by GN Rao, which was set up by the YSR Congress Party government to decide the state capital, had recommended three capitals for Andhra Pradesh — Amaravati as legislative, Visakhapatnam as administrative, and a judicial capital in Kurnool.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 31, 2019 09:39 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).