CM asks Ministers, MLAs to be armed with ‘facts and documents’ to counter BRS on Krishna water projects

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has asked his Ministers and MLAs to be fully armed with facts, documents and Krishna water sharing details to ‘expose’ what he terms as historic injustice done to Telangana during the BRS regime.

Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy is planning a detailed PowerPoint presentation for Congress MLAs ahead of the session to familiarise them with technical nuances, agreements, tribunal proceedings and financial aspects of the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS).

The immediate trigger for the escalation is the renewed war of words over the PRLIS, a project vital for the drought-prone districts of Mahabubnagar, Rangareddy and parts of Nalgonda. Both Congress and BRS accuse each other of neglecting the scheme.

Former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has mounted a fierce attack, threatening to “flay the skin” of the government for allegedly compromising Telangana’s water interests. Mr. Revanth Reddy responded with equal aggression, alleging that it was KCR who had “written the death warrant” for Telangana by accepting just 299 tmc out of the total of 512 tmc of Krishna water available post-bifurcation, leaving Andhra Pradesh with a larger share despite Telangana having a substantial riparian area.

The Chief Minister’s political calculation looks clear, convert the Assembly floor into a forum to put the BRS on the defensive. By openly challenging KCR to attend the House and “prove innocence” on Krishna water agreements, Mr. Revanth Reddy is attempting to frame the debate as a moral and political failure of the previous regime.

Significantly, the CM has even said he is willing to let KCR decide the duration of the Assembly session, a move aimed at projecting confidence.

The Congress leadership is under no illusion that the BRS will remain passive. BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao and former Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao are expected to lead a forceful counter-narrative, highlighting delays, cost escalations and incomplete works under the Congress government.

Anticipating this, the Chief Minister has directed Ministers and MLAs from the affected districts to prepare district-wise and project-wise rebuttals. A key line of attack will be the alleged “silent support” extended by the BRS government to former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Krishna water issues, which the Congress claims weakened Telangana’s bargaining position now.

Beyond legislative politics, the stakes are electoral. PRLIS will be a political issue in the next Assembly elections in South Telangana if substantial progress is not visible. The Congress government’s argument is that the damage was already done during the BRS tenure and it is attempting a course correction by pursuing Telangana’s claims before the Krishna Tribunal.