Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu has zeroed in on Amaravati as the name of the new capital of the state. The CM will make the announcement at an auspicious moment, said sources.
According to the sources, Naidu finalized Amaravati as the name of his upcoming capital on the banks of river Krishna on the rationale that in one stroke, a new modern capital can be linked to history dating back to at least 2,000 years when the small town of Amaravati, which is about 32 km away from the core capital region, was a major Buddhist centre.
Since Amaravati is also associated with Telugu heritage dating back to the Satavahana kingdom, Naidu felt that it would be the most appropriate name for the AP capital. It was also felt that the name Amaravati will elevate the status of the new capital and will be embraced by all Telugus.
The sources said many in the government and the TDP had suggested that the capital be named after NTR, but Naidu had shot it down. "The chief minister preferred the historical importance of the region to the parochial sentiments expressed by some of his colleagues," a minister, who revealed Naidu's decision to name the capital as Amaravati, said. Naidu was to announce the name of the new capital while taking part in the Ugadi festivities in Tullur village revcently.
"Before leaving Hyderabad, he told us that the name Amaravati would be announced on Ugadi and carried with him all the necessary historical reports about the political and spiritual importance of Amaravati. However, the CM later decided to make the announcement on an exclusive occasion," the minister said. The sources said Naidu did not want the capital name announcement to be mired in any controversy as the model election code of conduct was in place for the legislative council polls.
