Revanth Reddy Hands BJP a Weapon with CBI Probe into Kaleshwaram

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s decision to hand over the Kaleshwaram project probe to the CBI has triggered political tremors in Telangana. While intended to corner the BRS, the move is seen by analysts as a calculated gamble that could instead strengthen the BJP.

Observers argue that the announcement was not spontaneous but pre-planned, possibly influenced by Revanth’s mentor, Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, and his growing closeness to the BJP. For the BJP, which has long sought to target the BRS, the CBI probe is a golden opportunity. The move also coincides with the Centre’s recent 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which allows removal of CMs facing serious charges, raising speculation that the probe could later be weaponized against KCR if he attempts a comeback.

Another controversy is the legality of the PC Ghose Commission report, which many say won’t withstand judicial scrutiny. With the CBI probe likely to drag on for years, it gives political space for the BJP while allowing Revanth to claim neutrality, saying the investigation is in central hands.

The decision, however, has created unrest within Congress. Revanth announced the move unilaterally in the Assembly, without consulting either his Cabinet or the House—ironically, the same criticism Congress earlier leveled at KCR. AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi sharply questioned the rationale.

Adding to the contradictions, just days earlier, Revanth had accused the CBI, ED, and IT Department of acting as BJP’s tools. Now, his reliance on the CBI has drawn accusations of doublespeak. BRS leaders, including KTR, have seized on the decision as proof of Congress’s lack of strategy.

Ultimately, instead of cornering the BRS, the probe has handed the BJP a political weapon, exposed rifts within Congress, and left the ruling party struggling to explain its stand.