Chandrababu Naidu Urges for Increased Funding in Union Budget Amid Andhra Pradesh's Fiscal Woes

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to urge for increased financial allocations in the upcoming Union Budget, citing the state's ongoing fiscal challenges. Naidu emphasized the impact of the 2014 bifurcation and poor governance by the previous administration. Meetings with other key ministers are scheduled.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu met Union Home Minister Amit Shah late Tuesday night, pressing for substantial fund allocation in the upcoming Union Budget to tackle the state's financial difficulties, according to sources.

During the meeting, Naidu, who also serves as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president, stressed that Andhra Pradesh is still grappling with the consequences of the ''unjust bifurcation'' in 2014 and the ''miserable governance'' of the previous leadership.

Naidu arrived in the national capital for a two-day visit and is expected to meet Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday to further discuss financial needs. A meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also likely, sources indicated.

Data from the Andhra Pradesh government show a worrying trend in the state's fiscal health, with public debt rising from 31.02 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in 2019-20 to 33.32 per cent in 2023-24.

This marks Naidu's second trip to Delhi in nearly a fortnight. On a previous visit, he presented a seven-point development agenda to the Prime Minister addressing post-bifurcation challenges.

Naidu's push for increased funding follows a similar appeal by JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, who met Sitharaman on Monday to seek higher allocations for Bihar in the next Budget.

Both TDP and JD(U) are key constituents of the BJP-led NDA, and TDP is leveraging its coalition strength to advocate for Andhra Pradesh's financial needs ahead of Union Budget 2024.

During his earlier visit to Delhi, Naidu held talks with Shah and other Union ministers, including Sitharaman, highlighting the urgency of the state's financial requirements.