Retired IPS officer and former intelligence chief of Andhra Pradesh, A B Venkateshwar Rao — once considered a close confidant of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president and current Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu — has now become a thorn in the latter’s side.
ABV, who faced alleged harassment under the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government due to his perceived proximity to Naidu (and reportedly also due to his Kamma caste), was cleared of all cases and had his financial benefits restored soon after Naidu returned to power.
He was even offered the post of chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Police Housing Corporation, though he declined the position. Despite this, it was expected that ABV would remain loyal to Naidu, at least due to their caste affiliation.
However, he has begun openly criticizing certain policies of the Naidu government.
Most recently, ABV joined hands with a group of "intellectuals" and retired officials to strongly oppose the Polavaram–Banakacharla project—Naidu’s latest pet initiative.
Alongside former bureaucrat Kambhampati Papa Rao, writer Akkinei Bhavani Prasad, and activist T Lakshminarayana, ABV addressed a press conference on Wednesday, denouncing the project as a burden on Andhra Pradesh.
They alleged it was driven by political and contractor interests, especially those of Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited.
ABV argued that the Polavaram–Banakacharla project benefits neither Telangana nor Andhra Pradesh, but instead serves the interests of contractors and political elites.
He warned that the state's long-term water rights—particularly from the Krishna River—are at risk.
He said the project threatens existing Rayalaseema irrigation schemes such as Telugu Ganga, Galeru-Nagari, and the K. C. Canal.
Despite no additional irrigation potential, the operational costs alone are projected to exceed ₹50,000 per acre annually.
ABV suggested that gravity-based alternatives, like transferring Godavari water to Somasila via Bollapalli, would be more viable and cost-effective.
He alleged that the Polavaram–Banakacharla project was conceived by Megha Krishna Reddy, who pitched it to both former Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and current CM Naidu to push the ₹82,000 crore scheme.
He demanded that the government prioritize the completion of long-pending, gravity-driven projects like the Galeru-Nagari system and Veligonda tunnel, and protect Krishna water rights by avoiding unnecessary diversions to the Godavari.
They concluded that the project, promoted by successive governments with alleged links to contractors, offers no sustainable benefits and instead threatens Andhra Pradesh’s water security and financial stability.
