The simmering rivalry between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh over investments and infrastructure took a witty turn on Thursday, after Andhra IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh’s “spicy” remark triggered a sharp response from Karnataka’s IT Minister Priyank Kharge.
“Everyone enjoys a bit of spice in their food, but just as nutritionists recommend a balanced diet, economists too advocate a balanced budget,” Kharge wrote on X, taking a dig at Andhra’s fiscal health.
Backing his point with data, Kharge added that Andhra Pradesh’s total liabilities had ballooned to nearly Rs 10 lakh crore, with borrowings of Rs 1.61 lakh crore in just a year.
“The revenue deficit to GSDP has worsened from 2.65% to 3.61%,” he posted, before signing off with a punch line,
“Whatever said and done, we will always be the neighbour’s envy and owner’s pride.”
Everyone enjoys a bit of spice in their food, but just as nutritionists recommend a balanced diet, economists too advocate a balanced budget.
The neighborurs total liabilities have now ballooned to nearly ₹10 lakh crore.
In just one year, they have borrowed over ₹1.61 lakh…
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) October 17, 2025
Lokesh had earlier taken a swipe at Karnataka following Google’s decision to invest USD 15 billion in an AI data centre in Visakhapatnam, the tech giant’s largest investment in India so far.
“They say Andhra food is spicy. Seems some of our investments are too. Some neighbours are already feeling the burn!” he posted on X, tagging his comments with #AndhraRising and #YoungestStateHighestInvestment.
Lokesh also urged other states to “fix pothole-ridden roads and power cuts,” while calling Andhra a “double-engine bullet train government”, a reference to the TDP’s alliance with the BJP.
Google’s announcement sparked political uproar in Karnataka, with opposition parties, including the JD(S), accusing the Congress government of failing to maintain Bengaluru’s edge as India’s technology hub.
Critics argued that poor infrastructure and governance had driven major investments away from the city.
The debate intensified after Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw posted on X that a Chinese colleague questioned Bengaluru’s deteriorating roads and garbage management.
“Why are the roads so bad? Doesn’t the government want to support investment?” she asked.
Responding to the criticism, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar defended the state’s record, saying, “You can’t match Bengaluru’s infrastructure, startups, human resources, and innovation ecosystem.”
Kharge, too, welcomed Mazumdar-Shaw’s remarks as “constructive criticism,” and attributed the city’s challenges to “unprecedented rains, rapid urbanisation, and the influx of migrant workers”, outcomes, he said, of Bengaluru’s continued growth and success.