YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has pledged full legal support to farmers affected by land acquisition in Amaravati, with party leader and former minister Ambati Rambabu on Monday, 13 July warning that the party would challenge every action it deems illegal by the coalition government — up to the Supreme Court if necessary.

Key Developments

Ambati's declaration came after a meeting of the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) Farmers Protection Committee, attended by former minister Perni Nani, MLC Monditoka Arun, YSRCP coordinators Donthireddy Vemareddy, Diamond Babu, and Lella Appi Reddy, along with members of the party's Legal Cell and Amaravati farmers.

Ambati alleged that land acquisition was being carried out forcibly under the cover of capital development. He claimed the government deliberately scheduled acquisition proceedings on a Friday, aware that courts would be closed over the weekend, and deployed a large police force alongside bulldozers to destroy standing crops and take possession of fields.

Allegations of Procedural Violations

According to Ambati, officials commenced work on acquired land even before completing mandatory legal procedures — a charge that, if substantiated, would constitute a serious procedural breach. He also accused the government and sections of the media of misrepresenting YSRCP's position, claiming the party was being falsely portrayed as opposed to Amaravati's development whenever it raised objections.

Notably, Ambati alleged significant irregularities in the land pooling process itself. He claimed ordinary farmers were allotted plots in low-value zones, while leaders aligned with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) allegedly received prime locations. He further alleged that officials acted as brokers facilitating land transfers for the benefit of TDP leaders — accusations the ruling coalition has not yet publicly responded to.

The Compensation Dispute

A central grievance concerns compensation rates. Ambati questioned why farmers in Undavalli were being offered only ₹2.47 crore per acre when the prevailing market value was reportedly around ₹7 crore per acre — a gap of nearly ₹4.53 crore per acre that YSRCP argues amounts to organised exploitation of cultivators.

What YSRCP Says It Will Do Next

The party's Legal Cell has been placed on standby to file petitions in the Supreme Court if lower court remedies prove insufficient. Ambati asserted that YSRCP would not stand down in the face of what it described as government excesses, and would sustain both legal and democratic pressure until justice is delivered to every affected farmer in Amaravati.

This comes amid a broader political contest over Amaravati's future — a city whose development has been a flashpoint between successive Andhra Pradesh governments since the capital's relocation was first announced over a decade ago.