Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is set to meet Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday to advocate for a larger allocation of funds for the state in the upcoming Union Budget, scheduled to be presented in Parliament on July 23.
Naidu, currently on a two-day visit to the national capital, met with Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday to discuss the pressing need for increased financial support for Andhra Pradesh, citing the state’s severe financial distress.
In a post on X, Naidu stated: “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.”
During the meeting at Amit Shah’s residence, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president highlighted that Andhra Pradesh is still grappling with the consequences of the “unjust bifurcation” in 2014 and the “miserable governance” of the previous administration, according to sources.
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Naidu is also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources indicated.
This marks Naidu’s second trip to Delhi in nearly a fortnight. On July 4, he presented a seven-point development agenda to the Prime Minister, aimed at addressing the state’s post-bifurcation challenges.
Naidu’s push for increased funding follows a similar move by JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, who met with the Finance Minister on Monday to seek a higher allocation of funds for Bihar in the forthcoming Union Budget.
Both TDP and JD(U) are key partners in the BJP-led NDA and are keen to leverage their alliance to secure a more substantial financial package for their states in the Union Budget 2024-25.
