Watch: Vundavalli sees caste angle in capital shift

Former Rajahmundry MP and senior politician Vundavalli Arun Kumar, who has been keeping away from electoral politics for the last five years, regretted that the shifting of capital from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam appears to be due to Kamma-Reddy rivalry.

Speaking to media in Rajahmundry on Thursday, Vundavalli said the statements being made by the leaders from both the YSR Congress party and the Telugu Desam Party on the capital issue clearly indicated that there was a caste angle to the capital shift. 

“While the YSRC leaders are openly accusing TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu of promoting Amaravati only to benefit his community, the TDP leaders are alleging that Jagan Mohan Reddy is shifting the capital to Visakhapatnam only with a vengeance towards Kamma community,” Vundavalli pointed out.

Stating that he was the first person to oppose the construction of a greenfield capital city at Amaravati, the former MP said he had expressed apprehensions that it was not possible to construct a mega capital city in 33,000 acres in a few years because of financial constraints. 

“We had no resources to overcome financial crisis due to bifurcation and so, constructing a capital with a huge cost was not possible. Instead, I suggested either Vijayawada or Guntur could be developed as capital city,” Vundavalli recalled.

He opined that present CM Jagan was making the same blunder committed by Naidu with regard to capital city.

“While Naidu wanted to build a new capital, Jagan wants to take the capital to Visakhapatnam. He also wants to concentrate entire development in Visakhapatnam. Both of them want to develop big cities, but the style is different. Both of them have made the same mistake that was the cause for state bifurcation,” he said.

Vundavalli found fault with the three capitals concept of Jagan.

“Nowhere in the country is there any state with three capitals. It is a not a practical proposition,” he said.

Vundavalli also refuted the theory that the farmers of Amaravati had sacrificed their lands for the capital.

“They did not give the lands free of cost. They were allotted residential and commercial plots which they thought would get appreciation if the capital comes up there. It is a contractual agreement. Nobody will accept if the new government wants to cancel the agreements,” he said.

He said Jagan should have taken into consideration the legal aspects before taking the political decision on capital shift. There are contradictory reports on the central role in this regard.

“What can Jagan do, if the high court issues status quo orders,” he asked.

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