Vijayawada: The Union government is examining a proposal to introduce a Bill in Parliament during the winter session to accord statutory backing to Amaravati as the capital of Andhra Pradesh. Sources said the Union Law Department has prepared an initial note on the matter and forwarded it to the Union Cabinet for consideration.

The move follows concerns raised during the previous Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government, which came up with a three-capital model. At the time, opponents argued that Amaravati lacked formal capital status due to the absence of a Central Gazette notification.

The Centre, in submissions before the High Court during earlier hearings, had clarified that the authority to determine a state capital lies entirely with the respective state government and that the Union government does not issue gazette notifications designating state capitals.

Following this, the previous government introduced the three-capital legislation in the Assembly, which was subsequently challenged in the High Court. Following the 2024 elections, the TDP returned to power as part of the NDA alliance and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu began efforts to secure lasting legal clarity for Amaravati as the state’s seat of governance.

Officials involved in the process say the current initiative seeks to prevent future disputes by establishing explicit statutory recognition for Amaravati. State representatives have reportedly met senior Central officials to request a national-level law that would eliminate ambiguity and pre-empt the possibility of alternative capital proposals.

According to sources, the Centre initially raised questions over precedent, stating that it has never legislated to declare any state’s capital. However, discussions appear to have progressed in recent weeks. Sources indicate that the Centre has responded positively to the state’s request and that the Law Department has sought further clarifications from Andhra Pradesh on specific legal and administrative aspects. The matter is currently under examination by the Union home ministry, which is responsible for preparing any draft legislation concerning state reorganisation or capital-related issues. According to officials familiar with the developments, preliminary drafting work is nearing completion, and there is a likelihood that a bill addressing the Amaravati capital issue could be tabled during the upcoming winter session of Parliament in December.