Krishna water dispute: Revanth Reddy vs Harish Rao

A heated war of words has broken out between the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy over the contentious Krishna water dispute, with both sides trading barbs and accusations as Andhra Pradesh’s alleged overutilization of the river’s resources takes center stage.

The latest escalation began when BRS leader and former Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao accused the Congress-led Telangana government of being a “silent and helpless spectator” while Andhra Pradesh “loots” Krishna water beyond its allocated share.

Speaking at a press conference, Harish Rao claimed that Andhra Pradesh has already drawn 657 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water—far exceeding its permitted 512 TMC—while Telangana officials remain mute.

“Either Revanth Reddy has surrendered to Chandrababu Naidu, or this is a colossal failure of the Congress government,” Rao charged.

Revanth Reddy hits back

Revanth Reddy fired back on Friday during a public meeting in Narayanpet, dismissing the BRS’s allegations as “crocodile tears” and pinning the blame squarely on former CM K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR).

“When Andhra Pradesh diverted Krishna water to Rayalaseema through projects like Pothireddypadu, KCR colluded with Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy and later Jagan Mohan Reddy,” Reddy alleged. He accused the BRS of compromising Telangana’s water rights during its decade-long rule, asserting that the stalled Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation project—a key initiative to harness Krishna water—was a testament to KCR’s neglect.

“If KCR had completed this project, Andhra wouldn’t have had the chance to siphon our share,” Reddy claimed, challenging the BRS chief to a public debate on governance records.

The BRS hit back swiftly, with senior leader G. Jagadish Reddy accusing both the Congress government in Telangana and the BJP-led Centre of enabling Andhra Pradesh’s “excessive draw.”

Public perception As the slugfest intensifies, analysts see it as a battle for public perception ahead of local body polls. For now, the Krishna’s waters continue to flow—dividing not just states, but political rivals in Telangana.