3 Lakh Crore Debt in 18 Months: Chandrababu Sets New Borrowing Record, With Zero Accountability

Today, January 6, Tuesday, followed a familiar script under the AP's coalition government — except this time, it came with a dubious distinction. The government led by Chandrababu Naidu has created a new record in borrowing, pushing Andhra Pradesh’s total debt close to ₹3 lakh crore in less than a year and a half of coming to power.

Just a week after raising ₹4,000 crore, the state borrowed another ₹6,500 crore on January 6. As of December 31, the outstanding debt already stood at ₹2.93 lakh crore. With this fresh borrowing, Andhra Pradesh has effectively emerged as one of the most debt-laden states in the country—while Chandrababu claims the tag of the most aggressive borrower among Chief Ministers.

The Debt Breakdown

The numbers paint a grim picture. Budgetary borrowings have touched ₹1.71 lakh crore, while off-budget loans stand at ₹1.27 lakh crore. According to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), the debt confirmed up to March 2025 was ₹81,597 crore, with another ₹77,040 crore added by November 2025 alone.

A look at recent borrowings shows the pace:

December 2: ₹3,000 crore

December 30: ₹4,000 crore

January 6: ₹6,500 crore

Off-budget borrowings routed through corporations have ballooned to ₹80,245 crore, spread across multiple agencies—from power and irrigation bodies to civil supplies and beverages corporations. Loans taken in the name of Amaravati alone account for ₹47,387 crore, while borrowings from global lenders such as the World Bank and ADB add another ₹15,000 crore.

The Collapse of a Narrative

What makes this borrowing binge politically explosive is Chandrababu’s own past rhetoric. During the last Assembly elections, he repeatedly accused the previous YSR Congress Party government of pushing Andhra Pradesh into a “Sri Lanka–like debt trap,” claiming liabilities of ₹14 lakh crore under Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

After coming to power, the numbers kept changing. In the Governor’s address, the debt was pegged at ₹10 lakh crore. A much-publicised “white paper” later claimed ₹12.93 lakh crore. By the time the budget was presented, the figure mysteriously shrank to ₹6.46 lakh crore.

Finally, the truth came out on the Assembly floor. Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav admitted that borrowings during Jagan’s tenure were ₹3.39 lakh crore, and that total state debt when the YSRCP demitted office stood at ₹5.19 lakh crore. That single statement demolished Chandrababu’s election-time propaganda.

Record Borrowing, Zero Accountability

Barely months into power, the Chandrababu government has already added tens of thousands of crores to the state’s liabilities—without a credible growth narrative or transparent outcomes. The irony is stark: a leader who built his campaign on exaggerated debt figures now presides over one of the fastest debt expansions in Andhra Pradesh’s history.

The question is no longer about who borrowed more in the past. It is about how long Andhra Pradesh can survive a governance model that runs on loans today and shifting narratives tomorrow—and whether Chandrababu will ever be held accountable for turning debt into his government’s defining legacy.

Also Read: Chandrababu’s Betrayal of Rayalaseema Exposed: Will CBN Respond?

Also Read: Roja Slams Pawan Kalyan: When Chandrababu Backstabs, Are You Handing Him the Knife?