Is AP CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy using the Krishna river water dispute as a stick to beat Chandrababu Naidu and the TDP? Is he trying to make use of the issue to snuff out the opposition to his rule? Sources in the know say that his plan is to emerge as a saviour of Rayalaseema and a protector of AP interests. At the same time, he wants to portray Chandrababu Naidu as a duplicitous politician.

During the Telangana agitation, the Congress had always tried to put Chandrababu in a spot. Chandrababu, who then had interests in both the regions, began talking about a two-eye policy. Due to this, he slowly lost the initiative in Telangana and today, his party’s presence is only skeletal in Telangana. Jagan is now trying to use the same strategy to corner Chandrababu.

The YSRCP is trying to portray that while he followed the two-eyed policy on Telangana, he is now following the ‘three-eyed’ policy on Krishna river water. Interestingly, Chandrababu has not said anything on the Krishna water dispute so far. There is neither a comment nor a statement from Chandrababu. He cannot oppose the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation, as this will leave the party weakened in Rayalaseema. Even otherwise, the party is in a weak position in Rayalaseema. Hence, he is silent on the issue. At the same time, he cannot openly back the RLS as it would further alienate him in Telangana.

In another development, the TDP leaders from Prakasam district such as MLAs Gottipati Ravi, Veeranjaneya Swami and Eluri Sambasiva Rao are opposing RLS claiming that it would leave their district parched. They have already written a letter to YS Jagan saying that Prakasam is already suffering acute water scarcity and any diversion of Nagarjunasagar water will severely affect the district.

Using these, Jagan wants to show that the TDP is talking in three differing and even contradictory tones on the same issue. The aim is to further weaken the TDP. So, Krishna waters are now being used to tame TDP. Let’s wait and see how Chandrababu will handle this situation.