Pawan Kalyan’s Visit to Rushikonda Palace A Big Flop: YSRCP Exposes Propaganda

Hours after Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan inspected the Rushikonda buildings constructed by the previous YSRCP government, the TDP government hurriedly issued an order constituting a committee of Group of Ministers to “study and recommend” the way forward for utilizing the so-called “resort.”

The very move, however, has only vindicated the YSRCP’s stand. The government itself has now officially acknowledged that the buildings are part of a tourism project, contradicting the TDP’s earlier smear campaign. Soon after coming to power in 2024, the Naidu camp alleged that the ₹450 crore spent on the seven buildings atop Rushikonda was for Jagan Mohan Reddy’s “palace.”

Former IT Minister Gudivada Amarnath, with biting sarcasm, noted: “They should have said Jagan’s palace in the government order too. Why are they saying resort?”

The YSRCP has further accused Pawan Kalyan of enacting political theatrics at Rushikonda to divert attention from the government’s failure on more pressing issues, particularly the unresolved crisis at Vizag Steel Plant. His impromptu inspection—timed with his Jana Sena Party’s Senatho Senani event—seems more a distraction than a genuine concern.

A viral video of Pawan inspecting a “damaged” ceiling only added fuel to the controversy. Amarnath alleged that the incident was staged, pointing out how pieces of the so-called broken ceiling were found far from the roof, “defying all laws of physics.” He accused the Deputy CM of resorting to acting tricks rather than governance.

Amarnath also reminded people of the TDP government’s own track record. He highlighted severe water seepage in the Amaravati secretariat within weeks of its inauguration—despite spending over ₹1,000 crore at an inflated rate of ₹13,000 per sq. ft. Such examples, he said, expose the hypocrisy of a regime that cries foul over Rushikonda while ignoring its own wasteful mismanagement.

YSRCP leaders allege that Chandrababu Naidu deployed Pawan Kalyan as a political decoy to mask the government’s failures in Visakhapatnam. They argue that by flagging “damaged ceilings” and inflated electricity bills, the TDP is not only preparing to pocket kickbacks under the guise of ‘repair works,’ but also laying the groundwork to ultimately hand over the Rushikonda project to private interests.

The Rushikonda episode reflects a familiar pattern in Chandrababu Naidu’s governance—weaponizing false narratives to discredit political rivals.

Instead of addressing real issues like the Vizag Steel Plant crisis, the TDP government is indulging in theatrics and diversion. If anything, its latest order proves that Rushikonda was always a tourism project, and that the propaganda about Jagan’s “palace” was nothing more than a politically motivated smear.