- Priyank Kharge criticised Nara Lokesh's efforts to lure investment from Bengaluru to Anantpur as 'scavenging'
- The Karnataka vs Andhra Pradesh spat is over Bengaluru infrastructure issues prompting firms to relocate
- Andhra Pradesh's Nara Lokesh promoted Anantapur as an alternative aerospace and defence hub
The fierce economic rivalry between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh flared up again on X (formerly Twitter) Thursday, with Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge unleashing a pointed attack on his Andhra Pradesh counterpart, Nara Lokesh. Kharge compared Andhra Pradesh's efforts to attract investments to the 'desperate scavenging (of) a weaker ecosystem'.
The exchange centred on the recurring issue of Bengaluru's infrastructure challenges and efforts by neighbouring states to capitalise on the city's woes, by persuading IT companies and start-ups to shift across the border.
The latest spat was ignited by a news report highlighting several such in Bengaluru were considering moving further afield from the city due to crippling traffic and infrastructure decay along the Outer Ring Road.
Nara Lokesh reacted by promoting Andhra with a tweet that said: "North sounds good. Slightly more north is Anantapur... where we are building a world class aerospace and defence ecosystem!"
By offering Anantapur, a district closer to Bengaluru than Vizag, as an alternative, Lokesh was attempting to directly pitch his state as a viable option for companies fed up with Bengaluru's congestion.
Kharge responded with a lengthy and highly aggressive tweet, dismissing Lokesh's pitch and strongly asserting Bengaluru's economic supremacy. "It is natural for weaker ecosystems to feed off stronger ones. Nothing wrong with that, but when it turns into desperate scavenging, it shows more weakness than strength."
He then countered Lokesh's offer with a barrage of projections and statistics underscoring Bengaluru's growth. He pointed out that Bengaluru's GDP is projected to grow at a significant 8.5 per cent until 2035, positioning it as the world's fastest-growing city.
The city's property market is expected to rise by 5 per cent in 2025, he said.
Kharge cited the Savills Growth Hubs Index, stating Bengaluru is set to outpace global counterparts in urbanisation, economic growth, and innovation by 2033.
He also reminded critics the city's urban agglomeration is estimated at 14.40 million people in 2025, calling it "one of the highest migrant absorption cities in India". And he saved his most acidic comment for the end, concluding his reply with a pointed question directed at Lokesh.
"By the way, what is an organism that lives in or on an organism of another species and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other's expense called?"
This clear, albeit indirect, reference to a parasite marks one of the most escalatory and personal exchanges between the two young ministers in their ongoing battle for industrial investment and economic bragging rights in South India.
