The economic rivalry between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh flared up again on X (formerly Twitter) Thursday, as Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge launched a sharp attack on Andhra Pradesh counterpart Nara Lokesh. Kharge likened Andhra’s efforts to lure investments to the “desperate scavenging of a weaker ecosystem.”
The exchange revolved around Bengaluru’s infrastructure woes, which neighbouring states have tried to exploit by persuading IT companies and start-ups to relocate. Lokesh promoted Anantapur, closer to Bengaluru than Vizag, as an alternative destination for companies frustrated with traffic and Outer Ring Road congestion.
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Kharge countered with statistics highlighting Bengaluru’s dominance, projecting 8.5% GDP growth until 2035 and a 5% property market rise in 2025. Citing the Savills Growth Hubs Index, he said Bengaluru is set to outpace global cities in urbanisation, economic growth, and innovation by 2033.
He concluded with a sharp dig at Lokesh: “What is an organism that lives on another species and benefits at the other’s expense called?” — an indirect reference to a parasite. The online spat underscores the intensifying battle for industrial investment and economic bragging rights in South India.
