ABV Rebels Against CBN, What Is The Real Intention?

Former IPS officer AB Venkateswara Rao appears to have openly rebelled against the Chandrababu Naidu government. Over the last few weeks, he has been attending anti government programs and giving interviews that are critical of the ruling setup.

AB Venkateswara Rao, a 1989 batch IPS officer, served as the Intelligence Chief of Andhra Pradesh during the TDP government between 2015 and 2019. After YSRCP came to power in 2019, he was removed from the post and later faced suspension and legal troubles related to alleged irregularities in procurement during his tenure. However, many of those cases were later quashed or dropped. He retired in May 2024.

After returning to power, Chandrababu Naidu appointed ABV as Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Police Housing Corporation Limited in February 2025. However, political circles now believe ABV was expecting a much bigger role and is expressing his disappointment through indirect attacks on the government.

Many TDP sympathisers feel this is unfair, especially considering Chandrababu stood by ABV during difficult times. Despite several controversies and intelligence failures during that period, Chandrababu reportedly continued to support him till the very end.

Several incidents from 2015 to 2019 are now being recalled by TDP supporters. The crowd management situation during Godavari Pushkaralu drew criticism. The Ratnachal Express burning incident during the Kapu agitation in 2016 badly hurt the TDP government politically.

There were also serious security concerns after one MLA and one former MLA were killed by naxals in the agency area during that period. In addition, many within TDP still believe there were major communication and intelligence lapses during the crucial period surrounding YS Vivekananda Reddy’s murder case, which politically damaged the party ahead of the elections.

Despite all these setbacks, Chandrababu Naidu reportedly continued to back ABV and even gave him a nominated post after returning to power. Because of this, many within TDP now feel ABV turning against the government is politically motivated.

Political observers say ABV could be trying to build pressure on the government for a bigger position or stronger political relevance. Whether this confrontation grows bigger in the coming days remains to be seen.