Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched a sharp attack on the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government, accusing it of turning the ambitious Amaravati capital project into a ‘hub of scams’ marked by large-scale corruption, inflated costs, and financial mismanagement.
Addressing the media, Mr. Jagan clarified that his party is not opposed to Amaravati itself but to what he described as its ‘corruption-driven expansion’ at the expense of welfare schemes and balanced regional growth.
Speaking at a press meet in Tadepalli, the former CM claimed that the project, once touted as a self-financed model, has instead relied heavily on public loans and budgetary allocations, pointing to alleged irregularities from land acquisition to tendering and contractor favoritism.
He questioned how a project billed as self-sustaining could require ₹47,000 crore in loans and state guarantees, arguing that basic infrastructure for even 50,000 acres could balloon to ₹1 lakh crore, with full development of one lakh acres potentially hitting ₹2 lakh crore.
‘Governance under this administration has been reduced to unrestrained corruption and exploitation,’ Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said, adding that excessive focus on Amaravati is already squeezing funds for education, healthcare, and farmer support.
In one of his most pointed remarks, the YSRCP leader compared the scale of alleged irregularities in Amaravati to levels that would ‘make even Veerappan fall short,’ claiming construction costs in the capital far exceed those of major national projects like the new Parliament building in Delhi.
He alleged that the same contractors are being awarded work at ‘exorbitant rates,’ with mobilization advances and commissions benefiting a select few. Mr. Jagan further dismissed the Andhra Pradesh Assembly’s recent resolution seeking recognition of Amaravati as the sole capital as ‘pure drama’ designed to divert attention from governance failures and ongoing irregularities.
Despite the criticism, Mr. Jagan repeatedly emphasized that YSRCP supports balanced development and has never been against Amaravati or any single region. He accused the Chandrababu Naidu government of neglecting other parts of the state while using the capital debate as a political shield. ‘We are not against Amaravati or any other region. We are only opposing the rampant corruption in its name, the neglect of other regions, and how welfare and development are grinding to a halt,’ he said.
Proposes MAVIGUN corridor
As an alternative, YS Jagan proposed the MAVIGUN corridor, a 110-km development stretch linking Machilipatnam, Vijayawada, and Guntur, as a more practical, cost-effective ‘Plan B’ for the state’s growth. He argued that leveraging existing infrastructure, population centers, and connectivity in this corridor would create an economic hub at a fraction of Amaravati’s projected expenditure while promoting inclusive progress across coastal Andhra.
The suggestion from Mr. Jagan echoes the YSRCP’s earlier push for decentralization under its three-capitals model during Reddy’s tenure.
Political observers noted that Mr. Jagan Reddy’s comments keep the capital debate alive as a key flashpoint ahead of future electoral battles, with farmers in the Amaravati region still awaiting promised benefits from land pooling.