‘He Chose Bharat’: Nara Lokesh Joins DMK–AIADMK Row Over Google’s Vizag Project

The ongoing political tussle between Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK and the opposition AIADMK over Google’s decision to invest $15 billion in a data and AI hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, rather than in CEO Sundar Pichai’s home state, gained a new twist on Tuesday with Andhra Minister Nara Lokesh weighing in.

Lokesh, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and ally of the BJP, shared an NDTV report on social media with the caption “He chose Bharat”, adding the Indian flag emoji for emphasis.

Earlier, AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami criticised the DMK government for failing to attract Google to Tamil Nadu, despite Pichai’s roots in Madurai. Party leader RB Udayakumar claimed the DMK had missed a “historic opportunity” to secure the major investment, accusing the state of lacking vision and proactive engagement.

Responding to the criticism, Tamil Nadu Industries Minister TRB Raaja highlighted that the state is set to receive a larger investment worth ₹15,000 crore from Foxconn, the Taiwanese electronics giant that manufactures Apple products.

Lokesh’s post follows a similar remark last week, when he declared “Karnataka is feeling the burn!” amid a dispute with Karnataka’s IT Minister Priyank Kharge. The two had clashed over claims that Andhra Pradesh was attempting to lure businesses away from Bengaluru, following concerns raised by entrepreneurs about the city’s deteriorating infrastructure.

The spat reflects broader regional competition among southern states to attract major global investors, as infrastructure and governance take centre stage in the investment race.