AP Budget 2026–27: YSRCP alleges cooked-up figures, flags ₹3 lakh crore debt burden

Amaravati: The Opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the State Budget for 2026–27, describing it as a “bundle of lies” that allegedly conceals more than it reveals and lacks both substance and transparency.

Addressing the media at Tadepalli, former Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath accused the coalition government of manipulating figures and altering the format of the Budget document to avoid scrutiny.

‘Budget format changed to conceal facts’

Rajendranath alleged that the structure of the Budget book had been modified to omit mandatory comparative data of the past ten years, which he said was essential to assess fiscal discipline.

He claimed that while the government projected a high growth rate and compared it favourably with that of the Centre, the corresponding increase in revenue collections was disproportionately low.

“This mismatch clearly shows that the figures are cooked up and do not reflect real-time financial realities,” he said.

Questions over Jal Jeevan Mission claims

Citing the Jal Jeevan Mission, the former minister questioned the State’s expenditure claims. He pointed out that while the Centre reportedly spent ₹8,500 crore nationwide under the scheme, the State government claimed to have spent ₹10,000 crore, including the Centre’s share.

He described the claim as “one shining example” of alleged financial misrepresentation.

Revenue gap and rising debt concerns

Rajendranath also highlighted what he termed a “yawning gap” between last year’s revenue figures and the revised estimates. He questioned how the government intended to bridge the shortfall in the final quarter of the fiscal year.

He further alleged that the State’s total debt had crossed ₹3 lakh crore, but said the burden was not transparently reflected in the Budget documents.

‘Poll promises unfulfilled’

The YSRCP leader maintained that none of the coalition’s election promises had been fulfilled and accused the government of sidelining key sections of society, including farmers, students, women and the unemployed.

“All sections feel cheated as their concerns find no place in the Budget,” he said, adding that allocations and schemes were “hidden in one guise or another.”

Comparison with previous regime

Defending the previous administration led by Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Rajendranath said the YSRCP government had managed finances more effectively despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He claimed that the earlier government achieved a 9 per cent growth rate, compared to what he described as the coalition’s 4.5 per cent growth.

He also cited welfare initiatives such as direct benefit transfers, village secretariats, village clinics and Rythu Bharosa Kendras as hallmarks of the YSRCP regime.

Concluding his remarks, Rajendranath accused the ruling coalition of attempting to portray the previous government in a poor light by repeatedly using terms such as “destructive” and “obstructive” in its political narrative.