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

A fresh war of words has broken out between Karnataka’s IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge and Andhra Pradesh’s IT Minister Nara Lokesh, after the latter pitched Anantapur as a potential hub for Bengaluru-based firms grappling with infrastructure bottlenecks.

Responding to Lokesh’s social media post, Kharge shot back on October 3, “Competition is always welcome, we thrive on it. But let’s be clear, desperate scavenging is not a strength. It is the duty of every government to acknowledge problems and provide solutions.”

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

Kharge also invoked the opposition from Andhra farmers, who had criticised Lokesh’s offer of 8,000 acres for aerospace projects after Karnataka shelved land acquisition at Devanahalli.

“When it comes to arrogance, the farmers of Andhra Pradesh have already advised the Government. My very best to the youngest state.”

Nara Lokesh had earlier 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 it 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!”

Priyank Kharge retorted, underscoring Bengaluru’s economic might, “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: After Vizag, Nara Lokesh invites Bengaluru firms to Anantapur; Priyank Kharge hits back, calls it ‘desperate scavenging’

Lokesh’s remarks are the latest in a series of pitches to Bengaluru-based companies. In September, the minister had invited logistics startup BlackBuck to relocate to Visakhapatnam, and extended offers to aerospace investors after Karnataka dropped a land acquisition plan near Kempegowda International Airport. In July, he told aerospace players, “We have an attractive policy with over 8,000 acres of ready-to-use land. Why not look at Andhra Pradesh instead?”