Kurnool: Minister for Education, IT and Electronics Nara Lokesh on Thursday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and urged people to support continuity of the alliance government for sustained development, describing the current Centre-AP relationship as a “double-engine bullet train” for progress.

He was speaking at the “Super GST – Super Savings” public meeting, near the Nannuru check-post at Orvakal mandal in Kurnool district, at which Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief guest, with state leaders Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan in attendance. Lokesh said that continual central support has accelerated Andhra Pradesh’s growth and that continuity of the government is essential to make the state “number one” in the country in development. “People of Andhra Pradesh love Prime Minister Modi. He has visited the state four times in 16 months and fulfilled all our requests,” Lokesh observed. He credited Modi’s consecutive terms as PM for transforming India’s global economic standing, saying the country has moved from being the world’s 10th to 4th largest economy under his leadership — a feat he attributed to the Prime Minister’s policies.

Highlighting the GST rate cuts, Lokesh said the reductions have eased the tax burden on poor and middle-class families, leaving an estimated Rs 15,000 a year as tax savings for each household. Recounting previously raised concerns in official quarters that cutting GST would cost the government thousands of crores of rupees, the Minister pointed out that Prime Minister Modi still proceeded with GST 2.0 only because the move benefits the nation’s poor.Lokesh emphasised that the Centre’s cooperation has helped Andhra Pradesh in many ways: saving Vizag Steel Plant, securing a railway zone for Visakhapatnam, accelerating works on Polavaram and Amaravati, and supporting the establishment of a High Court bench in Kurnool.

He said that central support had facilitated the arrival of what he described as “India’s largest steel plant in the state” after direct intervention by the Prime Minister.

Listing various investment initiatives, Lokesh said the Centre is backing projects such as Google investments, “Space City”, “Drone City”, Kopparthi and Orvakal industrial nodes, and a Bulk Drug Park. “That is the power of the double-engine bullet government — when Prime Minister Modi acts, success follows,” he said.

The Minister praised Modi’s work ethic and long tenure in public office, saying the Prime Minister’s 25 years of service — first as Gujarat Chief Minister and later as India’s Prime Minister — exemplifies relentless hard work. Lokesh invoked local pride and history too, mentioning Kurnool’s contributions and notable sons of the soil, and appealed for people’s continued trust in Modi and the alliance government.

Noticeably, all major assertions and developmental claims were presented as statements made by Minister Nara Lokesh at the public meeting.