The Congress on Friday reiterated the need to retain Amaravati as the sole capital of the State and expressed solidarity with the farmers who were on a ‘padayatra’ over the issue.
Welcoming the farmers at the Railway Carriage Repair Shop in Renigunta amid incessant showers on Monday, the party’s city unit members led by president Mangati Gopal Reddy and senior leader Naveen Reddy said it was unfortunate for Andhra Pradesh to be the only State in the country to be without a capital. Several women offered ‘Harathi’ to the farmers taking part in the padayatra.
“The State should unite for the cause and understand that the affected farmers are not undertaking the padayatra with a political motive, but merely to demand the setting up of the capital city. If farmers are unhappy, it does not augur well for the State,” said Mr. Gopal Reddy, who is also the president of the Federation of Farmers Associations (FFA).
Earlier, Guntur MP Galla Jayadev participated in the padayatra with the slogan ‘One State, one capital’. Meanwhile, former Minister and TDP leader Kollu Ravindra and former MP K. Narayana presented ₹12.69 lakh to the farmers, which was collected by way of public donations. The members reached Rama Naidu Kalyana Mandapam on the city outskirts for their night stay.
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