TRS moves to check Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and YS Sharmila

HYDERABAD: There is a lot more to the barrage of statements made by TRS leaders and ministers against AP chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his late father, former CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy than what meets the eye.
The TRS appears to be adopting a twin-pronged strategy on the father-son duo. Firstly, the Telangana government wants to stop Jagan from going ahead with Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project (RLIP) and enhancement of Srisailam Right Bank Canal works. Secondly, the ruling party wants to nullify YSR’s daughter YS Sharmila who is currently touring districts promising to usher in ‘Rajanna rajyam’ (YSR’s golden rule) in Telangana.

Soon after the recent meeting of the state cabinet, half a dozen ministers and TRS MLAs upped the tempo against Jagan and YSR over what they called illegal irrigation projects, especially RLIP, constructed by AP across Krishna river and detrimental to Telangana’s interests. Ministers Vemula Prashanth Reddy, V Srinivas Gound, S Niranjan Reddy and G Jagadish Reddy and MLAs went to the extent of calling Jagan and YSR as “water thieves”.
They alleged that if YSR had done grave injustice to Telangana by enhancing the capacity of Pothireddypadu, his son is constructing the RLIP which would leave the erstwhile Mahbubnagar and Nalgonda districts parched for water. Srinivas Goud even alleged that YSR was indirectly responsible for the death of Congress leader P Janardhan Reddy. On the other side, some AP ministers too started issuing statements defending Jagan.
While the war of words between Telangana and AP ministers has intensified, both Jagan and Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao have been conspicuous by their silence. Sources in the TRS said it was only after KCR had given the ‘green signal’ for the onslaught against Jagan and YSR, the ministers and MLAs launched the diatribe. Telangana government officials claimed that recent letters to the KRMB and NGT had some effect.
“YSR opposed formation of Telangana when he was CM though Congress leadership in Delhi was in favour of a separate state. The state’s formation got delayed because of him,” Srinivas Goud alleged.
Analysts said the TRS leaders and government have been critical of the AP government on irrigation projects but have stayed away from besmirching YSR’s name. But now, they have gone the whole hog. Analysts said the TRS is utilising the opportunity to target both Jagan and Sharmila. The latter is launching her new party on July 8 and wants to establish herself as a successor to YSR in Telangana.