Andhra CM seeks higher Union Budget allocation for state in meeting with Shah

New Delhi: In a late-night meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah here on Tuesday, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu urged for a substantial financial commitment in the 2019 Union Budget to solve the state's financial difficulties, according to sources.

According to insiders, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president highlighted during the discussion at Shah's home that Andhra Pradesh is still dealing with the fallout from the "unjust bifurcation" in 2014 and the "miserable governance" of the previous government.

Naidu, who arrived in the national capital on Tuesday evening for a two-day visit, is expected to meet Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday to further discuss the state's financial needs. A meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also likely on the cards, the sources added.

The Andhra Pradesh government data reveals a worrying trend in the state's fiscal health. The public debt has risen from 31.02 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in 2019-20 to 33.32 per cent in 2023-24, indicating a deterioration over the past five years.

This is 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 advocacy for increased funding comes on the heels of a similar move by JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, who met Sitharaman on Monday seeking higher allocations for Bihar in the upcoming Budget.

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

During his previous Delhi visit, Naidu had also held talks with Shah and other Union ministers, including Sitharaman, underscoring the urgency of the state's financial requirements.

With PTI inputs