Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday seeking substantial financial support for the state in the upcoming Union Budget. The meeting, held at Shah's residence, was focused on addressing the financial difficulties Andhra Pradesh is facing.
Naidu, who also leads the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), highlighted the ongoing repercussions of the "unjust bifurcation" of the state in 2014 and the "miserable governance" of the previous administration. In a post on X, Naidu said, "Today in New Delhi, I met with the Hon'ble Union Home Minister, Shri @AmitShah Ji, to apprise him of the devastating condition of finances that Andhra Pradesh had slipped into over the past five years."
"I also discussed the findings of the four White Papers released, outlining the staggering debt accumulated between FY 2019-24 that spiralled our State's finances out of control. Economic incompetence, gross mismanagement, and rampant corruption by the previous government have caused irreparable damage to our State," he said.
Further, he stated, "Honouring the mandate given by our people to the NDA, the Central and State governments will devise a comprehensive recovery plan and bring our State's economy back on track. We shall fulfil people’s aspirations together."
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Naidu arrived in the national capital on Tuesday evening for a two-day visit, with plans to meet Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday to further discuss Andhra Pradesh's financial needs. A meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also anticipated, sources added.
The fiscal health of Andhra Pradesh is of significant concern, with government data showing a rise in public debt from 31.02% of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in 2019-20 to 33.32% in 2023-24.
This visit marks Naidu's second trip to Delhi in less than two weeks.