YSR Congress leaders often describe Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy as a proud Rayalaseema leader. The party repeatedly projects him as someone deeply connected to the region.
However, a question raised by YSRCP members in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council on Thursday has now triggered a political counterattack.
The party members questioned the status of the Rayalaseema Ethipothala project, which aims to lift Krishna waters from the Srisailam reservoir to provide irrigation support to districts like Nandyal, Anantapur and Sri Sathya Sai.
This led to sharp exchanges in the House. Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav said the YSRCP should have reflected on its own record before raising the issue. He argued that the question itself opened the door for scrutiny of what was done during the previous government.
According to him, if the project was so critical for Rayalaseema, why did it not see substantial progress during Jagan’s tenure?
Earlier in the debate, Nimmala Ramanaidu pointed out that allocations for Rayalaseema irrigation projects during the previous regime were limited. He referred to the Handri Neeva project and said the funds released then did not match the scale of promises made.
The live telecast of the proceedings amplified the political exchange. What began as a question on irrigation turned into a debate on accountability and regional commitment.
The larger political takeaway is this: when a party raises questions on long pending projects, it also invites examination of its own performance when it was in power.
Whether this debate strengthens the government’s narrative or allows YSRCP to sharpen its attack will depend on how the issue unfolds in the coming days. For now, the Rayalaseema water issue has once again moved to the centre of political discussion.
