'Desperate scavenging': Priyank Kharge hits out at Nara Lokesh's Anantapur pitch amid crumbling Bengaluru infra

Karnataka Minister for Electronics, IT/BT Priyank Kharge, on Thursday, attacked Andhra Pradesh’s IT minister and TDP leader Nara Lokesh after he playfully pitched Anantapur as an IT alternative to Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Hitting out at Lokesh's pitch, Kharge acerbically called it 'desperate scavenging'. 

Kharge wrote in a long post on X (formerly Twitter): "It is natural for weaker ecosystems to feed off stronger ones. Nothing wrong with that, but when it turns into desperate scavenging, it shows more weakness than strength." 

He further claimed that Bengaluru's GDP is projected to grow at 8.5 per cent until 2035, making it the world's fastest-growing city. He added that the metropolis's property market will grow by 5 per cent in 2025. 

Citing the Savills Growth Hubs Index, he said that Bengaluru is set to outpace global counterparts in terms of urbanisation, economic growth and innovation by 2033. Kharge further claimed that the urban agglomeration of Bengaluru is estimated to have ~ 14.40 million people in 2025, with an annual growth rate of ~2.76 %.

"We are one of the highest migrant absorption cities in India. The Government is and will continue to build infrastructure for the rapid growth we are experiencing. BTW, what is an organism that lives in or on an organism of another species and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other's expense called?" he further wrote. 

Earlier in the day, Lokesh quoted a media report on Bengaluru’s crumbling Outer Ring Road driving startups northward, playfully pitched Anantapur—further north—as a better destination, citing its emerging aerospace and defence ecosystem. 

The region hosts a 264-acre APIIC Aerospace & Defence Park in Palasamudram and has seen ₹3,400 crore in state investments for space and defence projects, positioning itself to rival Karnataka’s Devanahalli amid ongoing interstate disputes over land acquisitions. 

His post drew polarized responses as Karnataka users dismissed it as unnecessary rivalry and even “begging,” and supporters emphasised Anantapur’s strong educational foundation and potential to grow into an IT hub that could complement or even compete with Bengaluru and Hyderabad.