'Enjoy the spice...': After Nara Lokesh’s jibe, Priyank Kharge's retort

Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh IT ministers clashed again, this time over Google’s $15-billion investment in Visakhapatnam, drawing criticism over state incentives.

Responding to Karnataka IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge criticising Andhra Pradesh’s investment incentives as costly, Andhra IT Minister Nara Lokesh wrote on X: "They say Andhra food is spicy. Seems some of our investments are too. Some neighbours are already feeling the burn! 🌶️🔥 #AndhraRising #YoungestStateHighestInvestment".

Also, read: Andhra vs Karnataka: "Will compete for every rupee of investment," says AP Minister Nara Lokesh

Kharge shot back: "Everyone enjoys a bit of spice in their food, but just as nutritionists recommend a balanced diet, economists too advocate a balanced budget. Our neighbour’s total liabilities have now ballooned to nearly Rs 10 lakh crore. In just one year, they have borrowed over ₹1.61 lakh crore, and the revenue deficit to GSDP has worsened, rising from 2.65% to 3.61%. Whatever is said and done, we will always be: ‘Neighbour’s envy and Owner’s pride’."

Also, read: Arrogance, like potholes on roads, should be fixed first, says Nara Lokesh as war of words with Priyank Kharge intensifies

On October 15, Kharge told reporters: "They (Andhra) are boasting of Google’s investment but hiding the massive subsidies. The state has offered full GST reimbursement, subsidised land, water, and power - together worth around Rs 22,000 crore."

Lokesh responded: "If they (the Karnataka government) are inefficient, what can I do? Their own industrialists say the infrastructure is bad... there are power cuts. They should first fix those problems."

Also, read: Karnataka: Opposition slams ruling Congress govt after Google chooses Andhra for AI data centre

The ministers’ rivalry intensified after Lokesh quoted a Moneycontrol report on firms moving from Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road to north Bengaluru and Whitefield, posting on X: "North sounds good. Slightly more north is Anantapur… where we are building a world-class aerospace and defence ecosystem!"

He followed up with another post defending his pitch: "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 gets tripped up!"

Also, read: After Vizag, Nara Lokesh invites Bengaluru firms to Anantapur; Priyank Kharge hits back, calls it ‘desperate scavenging’

Kharge, highlighting Bengaluru’s economic might, retorted: "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."

Highlighting Bengaluru’s strength, Kharge said the city’s GDP is projected to grow by 8.5 percent annually until 2035, making it the world’s fastest-growing city. Property prices are forecast to rise 5 percent in 2025, while Savills’ Growth Hubs Index has placed Bengaluru ahead of global peers in urbanisation, innovation, and economic growth by 2033. The urban agglomeration is set to cross 14.4 million people by 2025, with one of the highest migrant absorption rates in India.

Also, read: Google's $10 bn Vizag data centre gets tax certainty, "double engine bullet train" govt helped: Nara Lokesh, IT, electronics and HRD minister

Kharge also highlighted Andhra farmers’ opposition to Lokesh’s offer of 8,000 acres for aerospace projects after Karnataka shelved land acquisition plans near Devanahalli: "If it comes to arrogance, the farmers of Andhra Pradesh have already advised the Government. My very best to the youngest state," he added.

Also, read: Karnataka-Andhra IT ministers spar: ‘Competition welcome, we thrive on it,’ Priyank Kharge's retort to Nara Lokesh