Tadepalli (Andhra Pradesh) [India], May 21 : Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy reiterated the Machilipatnam, Vijayawada, and Guntur (MAVIGUN) corridor as the state's capital instead of Amaravati.
Addressing a press conference, Jagan claimed that even after investing two to three decades in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh will "find itself in a situation with no capital," and added that what CM Chandrababu Naidu is conceiving is "never a reality."
The YSRCP chief said, "What Chandrababu is conceiving is never a reality. MAVIGUN is something which is already exists. Day 1 itself, you have a certain level of city in place, with all the infrastructure already in place. So, there is nothing required for you to spend, except for improving the connectivity. At best, maybe over a period of five-seven years, if you can spend just 10 per cent of whatever you are talking about in Amaravati, a reasonable amount of Rs 15,000-20,000 crores should suffice over a period of five to seven years."
"The moment you accept MAVIGUN, rather than constructing your buildings there, shift them over here, and you christen it as MAVIGUN and capital. The moment you do that, the capital comes into existence on day 1, whereas even after a decade, after two to three decades, you would find yourself in a situation where Andhra Pradesh has no capital," he added.
Jagan Mohan Reddy has opposed Amaravati being the state's sole capital, as declared in April 2026 after the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Act, 2026, received the President's assent. He had earlier also proposed the Machilipatnam, Vijayawada, and Guntur (MAVIGUN) corridor as an alternative.
Jagan had alleged that Naidu is focusing exclusively on the city in the expectation of receiving commissions and indulging in corruption. The YSRCP chief claimed that Amaravati is being turned into a tool for massive financial exploitation, as construction costs are being fixed at Rs 14,000 per square foot, unlike major cities like Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru, where costs hover around Rs 4,500 per square foot.