Three capitals for Andhra Pradesh: A proposition with a tumultuous history

A handful of states in India have experimented with new capital cities, but there has been a mixed verdict on their viability and success

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has added another chapter to the fraught history of setting up state capitals in India last week. His party has used the over two-thirds majority it enjoys in the legislative assembly to pass a resolution to abolish the legislative council or the Upper House (it houses indirectly elected representatives). His reason: Reddy has tabled a Bill that establishes not one, but a decentralises power into three capitals for the state, based on the recommendations of an experts’ committee led by retired IAS officer G N Rao. Under this scheme, Amaravati (carved