Guntur, April 3: The chants of Jai Amaravati and Jai Modi rang through the streets of Guntur on Friday as BJP,TDP and Janasena workers poured out in celebration, marking the passage of the Amaravati capital bill in both Houses of Parliament — a moment many here described as the culmination of a long and bruising political battle.

At the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Circle, party workers performed a ceremonial milk offering to a portrait of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, garlanded the statue of former Prime Minister Vajpayee, and raised slogans hailing the NDA coalition for delivering legal recognition to the city that Andhra Pradesh has long claimed as its rightful capital.

BJP Guntur district president Cherukuri Tirupati Rao, who led the celebrations, said the NDA's united effort had turned years of uncertainty into a constitutional reality. "The decision has restored the faith of the people of Andhra Pradesh," he said, thanking both the Central and state leadership for seeing the matter through.

Senior BJP leader Jupudi Rangaraju called the passage of the bill through the Assembly and Parliament a watershed moment, saying it had laid to rest a controversy that had clouded the state's political landscape for years.

East constituency MLA Naseer Ahmed struck an emotional note, remembering the farmers who had given up their lands for the capital's construction. "Their sacrifice has not gone in vain," he said, adding that legal recognition was long overdue since the state's bifurcation.

West constituency MLA Galla Madhavi said the Centre-state partnership would now accelerate development on the ground, while Janasena district president Gade Venkateswara Rao said the decision had given fresh hope to those who had fought for Amaravati through years of political turbulence.

The gathering drew a large cross-section of BJP and Janasena district leaders and workers, reflecting the mood of a coalition united in celebrating what many here are calling Andhra Pradesh's defining political moment.

Andhra Pradesh, Guntur ( JournalisT File ) : Dr. Pemmasani Chandrashekhar, Union Minister of state for Rural Development and Communications, has stated that the systems in the state collapsed under the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) rule, but the alliance government is steadily reviving them. Speaking at the foundation-laying ceremony for development works worth Rs. 77.29 crore in the 46th and 47th divisions of Guntur, he highlighted the progress being made.

In the 46th division, works to construct CC drains and roads along the Hasini Infra road in the city area were initiated with an estimated cost of Rs. 45.69 lakh. In the 47th division, similar works, including CC drains and roads, are being undertaken in the Kumari Bazaar area of Gorantla, with an estimated budget of Rs. 1.13 crore.

Chandrashekhar further mentioned that a total of 240 works, amounting to Rs. 77.29 crore, have been sanctioned within the Guntur Municipal Corporation limits. He assured that the government would soon address the drinking water issues that have been a major concern in the rural areas of Guntur. "In the next six months, the government will resolve all issues in the region, including those raised by TDP, Janasena, and BJP," he said.

The ceremony was attended by several leaders, including LID CAP Chairman Pilli Manikyala Rao, Janasena District President Gade Venkateswara Rao, Pattachu Constituency Janasena In-charge Korrapati Nageswar Rao, Deputy Mayor Shaikh Sajil, local Corporator Nookavarapu Balaji, and Vemulapalli Sriram Murthi, among others.