A fiery war of words erupted on Thursday between Andhra Pradesh’s IT Minister Nara Lokesh and Karnataka’s IT Minister Priyank Kharge, turning a pitch for investment into a full-blown regional debate.

What began as Lokesh’s cheeky invitation to tech firms struggling with Bengaluru’s infrastructure soon spiraled into a clash over development models of the two states.

Lokesh, reacting to reports about the challenges along Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road (ORR) that are pushing firms to explore alternatives, reminded companies that “slightly north of Bengaluru lies Anantapur,” where Andhra is setting up a world-class aerospace and defence hub.

His post was seen as a strategic move to position Anantapur as a visible business corridor, particularly for firms weary of Bengaluru’s traffic chaos and

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