'Grievances Not Blackmail': Andhra Minister's Swipe At K'taka Govt Amid Pothole Row, Invites BlackBuck To Vizag
On Thursday night, Andhra Pradesh Human Resources Minister Nara Lokesh renewed his pitch to Yabaji, urging him to consider relocating to Visakhapatnam.
Bengaluru’s worsening infrastructure crisis has taken on a political edge, with Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka trading barbs after a tech CEO’s viral complaint about the city’s potholes and traffic snarls. The controversy began when BlackBuck co-founder and CEO Rajesh Yabaji announced plans to shift his company’s office away from Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road, citing unbearable commutes and poor road conditions. The post quickly drew the attention of politicians, with Andhra Pradesh stepping in to woo the logistics firm.
Karnataka–Andhra Political Row
On Thursday night, Andhra Pradesh Human Resources Minister Nara Lokesh renewed his pitch to Yabaji, urging him to consider relocating to Visakhapatnam. In a sharp dig at Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Lokesh criticised his recent remark that “governments can’t be blackmailed” by corporate complaints. “What sets Andhra Pradesh apart,” Lokesh said, “is that we don’t label genuine grievances as ‘blackmail’. We respond with dignity and seriousness.”
Earlier, In a interview to NDTV, DK Shivakumar commented on CEO's viral post saying that blackmailing government won't work.
Here’s what sets AP apart from others - we don’t dismiss our people’s genuine grievances as ‘Blackmail’. We treat them with the dignity and seriousness they deserve. https://t.co/ZszTXYEeqG
— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) September 18, 2025
Meanwhile, DK Shivakumar also spotlighted a structural problem at the heart of Bengaluru’s infrastructure woes: many IT parks remain under rural panchayat governance rather than city authorities, complicating civic upkeep and road development. He argued for bringing such hubs under a dedicated Greater Bengaluru Authority to improve planning and funding.
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