HYDEARABAD: Former Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister and senior YSRCP leader Buggana Rajendranath has launched a scathing attack on the N. Chandrababu Naidu-led coalition government, describing its fiscal management as "poor" and claiming the state is currently facing the highest revenue deficit in the country at Rs 60,285 crore for the 2024–25 financial year.
In an exclusive interview with IANS, the YSRCP leader dismantled the government's narrative regarding the state's financial health.
"You go and ask any common man in any bus stand or railway station in the state, and you will get the answer," Rajendranath said, highlighting that the state's tax revenue growth has plummeted to 1.97 per cent, placing Andhra Pradesh in the 22nd position nationwide, trailing even smaller states like Sikkim and Meghalaya.
Rajendranath contested the pre-election claims made by the ruling 'Kutami' (coalition) that the previous Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government had mismanaged the economy. He asserted that official figures from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reveal a different story.
"Presently, we are seeing the state's own tax revenues growing at a negative pace of -3.22 per cent between 2024-25 and 2025-26," he told IANS. He contrasted this with the previous administration's performance, noting that despite the challenges posed by the Covid pandemic, the YSRCP government maintained fiscal discipline, keeping the average fiscal deficit between 2.5 per cent and 2.6 per cent. He alleged that the current government has already contracted a debt of Rs 3.4 lakh crore in just two years.
The former minister expressed dismay over the government's reliance on a "White Paper" to justify its financial claims in the Assembly. "Does anyone give an official reply 'as per a white paper'? A white paper is a political statement; it does not carry legal sanctity," he stated, adding that responsible government figures are "stooping to cheap gimmicks" by citing inconsistent figures inside and outside the House.
Rajendranath further detailed that the total debt incurred during the YSRCP's five-year tenure was approximately Rs 3.3 lakh crore, achieved at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.5 per cent -- significantly lower than the 22.6 per cent CAGR recorded during the 2014–2019 TDP tenure.
Turning to the political climate, Rajendranath accused the ruling party of suppressing the opposition. "Whenever Jagan Mohan Reddy took a paper to speak, his mic used to be disconnected," he claimed, reiterating the demand for the YSRCP to be granted the status of 'Principal Opposition.' He argued that with a significant voter base still supporting the party, fair democratic representation is essential.
On the contentious issue of the capital, Rajendranath defended the previous government's decentralisation policy, citing the Sivaramakrishnan Committee report. He warned that constructing a capital in the current proposed location -- which he described as a "river flood plain" -- posed severe environmental and seismic risks.
"We went for decentralisation because we learned from history -- the integration of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and the various agitations," Rajendranath concluded, emphasising that the YSRCP's model of village secretariats and district reorganisation was aimed at bringing administration closer to the people.
--IANS
