Andhra Pradesh’s IT Minister Nara Lokesh and Karnataka’s IT Minister Priyank Kharge had a strong exchange of words over the state’s development that caught many eyeballs across social media resulting in a regional fight between Andhra and Karnataka. What began as a proposal pitch for companies that are shifting out of ORR area in Bangalore to North of Bengaluru to make a much bigger shift to Anantapur region that is in Andhra and north of Bengaluru.He reminded everyone that slightly north of Bengaluru lies Anantapur, where Andhra Pradesh is building a world-class aerospace and defence ecosystem.
Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge quoted Lokesh tweet highlighting Bengaluru’s strong growth story, saying the city’s GDP is expected to grow at 8.5% every year till 2035. With its booming property market, rapid urbanisation and people from all over the country making it their home, Bengaluru has truly become India’s tech capital. But his response took an unpleasant turn when he made harsh remarks about Andhra Pradesh, calling it a weaker ecosystem that would feed on Bengaluru “like a parasite.” Many felt such words were uncalled for, especially from a minister.
Nara Lokesh, however, did not respond with defensiveness but with vision on how he views development as. He reminded that as India’s youngest state, Andhra Pradesh sees opportunity, not rivalry. By investing in new sectors and building new growth hubs, Andhra is creating jobs for its youth while also helping reduce the burden on already over-stretched metros like Bengaluru.At the same time, Lokesh didn’t shy away from pointing out the reality on the ground in Bengaluru thousands of potholes waiting to be fixed. He called out Priyank Kharge’s arrogance and questioned his own record of governance before making dismissive comments about others.
Healthy competition between states is good for the country but it should not descend into name-calling and ugly regional politics. Lokesh’s emphasis on pitches for investment in growth corridors of Anantapur and beyond shows that he is thinking beyond politics towards a stronger, more balanced development across Andhra Pradesh without just relying on the capital as the economic hub of the state.
As India’s youngest state, we are looking for every opportunity to grow and generate jobs. I truly believe that as states compete for investments and jobs, India will prosper. My humble suggestion – Arrogance, like potholes on roads, should be fixed first before the journey… https://t.co/niVlB5ke7Z— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) October 2, 2025
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