The Lok Sabha passed the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026 on April 1, 2026, formally declaring Amaravati as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh and ending more than a decade of uncertainty over the state's seat of government following the bifurcation of the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh in 2014.\n\nThe Bill was introduced by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai and passed by voice vote with support from almost all parties. The Rajya Sabha subsequently passed the same bill on April 2, 2026. The legislation amends Section 5(2) of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, substituting the phrase "there shall be a new capital" with "and Amaravati shall be the new capital," thereby according statutory recognition to Amaravati.\n\nThe bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 led to the creation of two states — Andhra Pradesh and Telangana — with Hyderabad serving as a joint capital for ten years. When that arrangement ended, Andhra Pradesh required a permanent capital. The previous state government under Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had controversially proposed three capitals — Amaravati (legislative), Kurnool (judicial), and Visakhapatnam (executive) — but the proposal was eventually shelved.\n\nChief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of the TDP-led government welcomed the passage, calling it a "historic and deeply emotional moment" for the state and its farmers who had given up land for Amaravati's development. The YSRCP staged a walkout, demanding a timeline for fulfilling promises made to those farmers.\n\nFor RAS aspirants, this bill is significant under polity and constitutional law: it demonstrates Parliament's power to alter state capitals and reorganise states under Articles 3 and 4 of the Constitution, which do not require consent of the state legislature concerned.