Demands to make either Kurnool or Tirupati, the new capital

  Following the passage of Telangana bill in Parliament, the residual state of Andhra Pradesh is now facing the task of choosing a new capital city with various leaders pitching for their regions.

T G Venkatesh, Minor Irrigation Minister in the outgoing Kiran Kumar Reddy government, said Kurnool should be the capital of the new Andhra Pradesh.

Venkatesh hails from Kurnool district. There should not be any bad blood between the Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra regions, unlike that between Telangana and Seemandhra in the undivided Andhra Pradesh, Venkatesh said.

He suggested that there could be two capitals, to satisfy both the regions. Byreddy Rajasekhara Reddy, a former TDP MLA who heads an outfit which champions the cause of Rayalaseema, also demanded that Kurnool be the new capital.

Senior Congress MP from Tirupati, Chinta Mohan, wants the famous temple town as the new capital. Rayalaseema comprises districts of Chittoor, Kadapa, Kurnool and Anantapur. The Centre has said that a committee would be set up to go into the issue of the new capital for residuary Andhra Pradesh.

- PTI