The controversy surrounding the proposed Polavaram-Banakacharla project, initiated by the Telugu Desam Party-led coalition government in Andhra Pradesh, has unexpectedly turned into a political advantage for Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.
Until recently, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) had been accusing Revanth Reddy of being a puppet of TDP president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
The BRS was attempting to revive Telangana sentiment by claiming that Naidu would contest elections in Telangana again with Revanth Reddy’s support.
However, the Polavaram-Banakacharla issue has altered the political narrative.
Revanth Reddy took a strong stance against the Andhra Pradesh government and even threatened to approach the Supreme Court over the project.
He demanded that Naidu first acknowledge Telangana’s rightful 968 TMC share of river water before proceeding with the Banakacharla project and warned of a legal battle if necessary.
Simultaneously, he challenged the Bharatiya Janata Party to clarify whether it would support its ally in Andhra Pradesh or defend Telangana's interests.
This confrontation allowed Revanth Reddy to counter the TDP’s claims of forming a strong alliance in Telangana.
It also reignited the perception of Chandrababu Naidu as anti-Telangana, which benefits the Congress.
By directly attacking Naidu, Revanth neutralized the narrative being pushed by the KCR-led camp, which portrayed him as Naidu’s man.
Revanth also turned the tables on the BRS by pointing out how KCR’s water diversion policies from the Godavari benefited Andhra Pradesh at the cost of Telangana. BRS leaders struggled to counter or defend these claims.
Instead of responding effectively, BRS MP Vaddiraju walked out of the meeting. Meanwhile, Revanth Reddy largely ignored the BJP, keeping his focus on the TDP and BRS.
Another political gain for Revanth is the renewed scrutiny of Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s actions on projects like Pothireddypadu and the Rayalaseema Lift Scheme, which are perceived as detrimental to Telangana.
KCR’s earlier cooperation with Jagan is also now being questioned.
Revanth’s assertive handling of the Banakacharla issue has boosted his political image. However, any future backtracking could damage his credibility.
