The YSR Congress Party ( YSRCP) leader and former Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath lashed out at the ruling TDP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition for allegedly spreading false narratives about the State’s GST revenue growth. He accused the coalition government of manipulating data and misleading the public for political mileage.
In a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Rajendranath Reddy said the GST revenue increase reported in July 2025 is being misrepresented as an achievement of the current administration. He clarified that the apparent 14% growth in GST income is not the result of improved governance or sound fiscal policies, but rather due to the exceptionally low collections in July 2024.
“The TDP government is misusing comparative statistics to create a false impression of economic progress. The decline in GST revenue during their initial months in power has created a low base effect, making the current numbers seem inflated,” he explained.
The YSRCP leader further provided data to substantiate his claim. The net GST revenue in July 2023 stood at ₹2,755 crore, compared to ₹2,930 crore in July 2025 — registering only a 6.3% growth over two years. This translates to an average annual growth of merely 3.13%. Similarly, the gross GST revenue has risen by just 2.88% over the same period.
“It is unfortunate to see HRD Minister Nara Lokesh celebrating this as a great achievement. It only shows his lack of understanding of economic indicators. If the State’s economy were truly growing at the rate they claim, GST collections would reflect that,” he said.
Mr.Rajendranath Reddy pointed out that Andhra Pradesh’s GST revenue trends might appear better in comparison to other southern states, but the reality is far from it. He emphasised that any increase seen now is largely due to the weak performance in the previous year, not because of strong policy initiatives.
The YSRCP leader also criticised the TDP coalition government for adopting flawed and ineffective fiscal policies, which led to a drastic fall in GST collections in 2024. He warned that comparing current figures with last year’s low-performance months distorts the real picture and misleads the public.
“Instead of taking responsibility and correcting their policy failures, the coalition leaders are trying to build a false narrative by selectively comparing low benchmarks. This is not sustainable growth,” he said.
Calling for serious and responsible governance, he urged the current government to move away from publicity gimmicks and instead focus on improving investment, employment, and economic infrastructure to put the state’s economy back on track.