Jagan: CM Naidu projecting ‘cooked-up’ GSDP data, numbers show economic slowdown in AP

Amaravati: YSRCP president and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday accused the CM Chandrababu Naidu-led Andhra Pradesh government of misleading the public with ‘cooked-up’ GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) figures.

He claimed that official revenue data points to a clear economic slowdown in the State.

‘Economic slowdown evident in revenues’

Addressing the State’s fiscal performance, Jagan said government revenues clearly reflect stress in the economy.

Citing figures uploaded by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for the first nine months of 2025–26, he claimed Andhra Pradesh ranked 22nd among 23 States in tax revenue growth.

According to the data he quoted, Central government gross tax revenues grew 9.64 per cent during the period, while Andhra Pradesh’s tax revenues increased by only 1.97 per cent.

Questioning the GSDP claims

The YSRCP chief took exception to GSDP figures presented during Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s review meeting with ministers and senior officials on Monday.

He alleged that the numbers were prepared by the Chief Minister’s Office and not released by any independent agency.

As per the State government’s claims, Andhra Pradesh recorded 11.75 per cent nominal GSDP growth in 2024–25, compared to a national growth rate of 9.8 per cent, and is projected to grow at 10.75 per cent in 2025–26, against the national estimate of 8 per cent.

The government has also stated that the State ranks third nationally in real GSDP growth this year.

‘Mismatch between growth and tax collections’

Calling the figures implausible, Jagan Mohan Reddy argued that strong economic growth should be reflected in government revenues.

He said the alleged 11.09 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in GSDP over two years stands in stark contrast to the 1.97 per cent CAGR in tax revenues during the same period.

“It would puzzle economists how such high GSDP growth can coexist with such weak tax revenue growth,” he remarked, alleging that the disparity points to inflated statistics.

Political attack on governance

The former Chief Minister also launched a political broadside, claiming that if there were any category in which the present dispensation would rank first, it would be government debt, corruption, political vendetta and false propaganda.

In a post on social media platform X, he described the government’s performance as ‘high on hype and low in delivery,’ and accused it of continuing to mislead the public on the State’s true economic condition.

Demand for transparency

Reiterating his charge, Jagan Mohan Reddy called for transparency in economic reporting and urged the government to rely on independently verified data.

He maintained that the people of Andhra Pradesh deserve an honest assessment of the State’s finances rather than what he termed ‘manufactured growth figures.’