Pemmasani hits out at Jagan over Bhogapuram airport delay

Union minister of state for rural development Pemmasani Narayana Swamy has intensified the political tussle around Andhra Pradesh’s Bhogapuram airport, publicly alleging that former chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy bears primary responsibility for delays that pushed the long-awaited project off its original timelines.

Fresh accusations over a long-delayed project

Pemmasani’s comments, reported in regional media in early 2026, come just as the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram moves closer to operational readiness after years of uncertainty. The greenfield airport, intended to serve Visakhapatnam and the wider North Andhra region, has been promoted as a key gateway for international traffic and a catalyst for tourism, IT investment and logistics.

According to published coverage, Pemmasani has framed the airport’s chequered progress as an example of what he describes as missed opportunities under the previous YSR Congress Party government. He has argued that decisions taken during Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tenure slowed land-related processes, altered the project scope and delayed the handover of land and clearances needed for full-scale construction.

The remarks deepen an already polarised debate over which administration deserves credit or blame for Bhogapuram. For several years, rival parties have traded claims over who first conceived the project, who secured clearances, and who is ultimately responsible for the airport missing earlier target dates for completion and inauguration.

The renewed dispute comes at a time when local travelers and businesses are watching timelines closely, as the new airport is expected to eventually absorb most commercial services now using the Indian Navy–controlled Visakhapatnam airport.

How Bhogapuram became a political flashpoint

Bhogapuram was first promoted in the mid‑2010s as a greenfield airport intended to decongest Visakhapatnam and position North Andhra as a tourism and investment hub. Publicly available project histories describe how the then Telugu Desam Party government identified the coastal location in Vizianagaram district, initiated land acquisition and invited private participation for development and operations.

Subsequent reports indicate that by the time the YSR Congress Party took office in 2019, significant parcels of land around Bhogapuram had been assembled, but elements of the master plan and land pooling model were contested in the courts and among local farmers. The incoming administration re‑examined the project layout, eventually opting for a reduced land footprint and a modified concession arrangement with the private developer.

Supporters of the TDP argue that this reshaping of the project, along with initial hesitation over the airport’s commercial model, effectively stalled momentum at a critical moment. They contend that construction which might have proceeded earlier was pushed back by several years, and that this is now visible in the alignment of current construction milestones with later political cycles.

Leaders aligned with the YSRCP have countered that much of the behind‑the‑scenes work on regulatory clearances, legal disputes and central government approvals took place during Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tenure, insisting that these steps were essential for the project to move into large‑scale construction. They argue that the time taken reflects the complexity of land issues and environmental processes rather than deliberate obstruction.

Timelines, delays and shifting deadlines

Bhogapuram’s timeline illustrates how major aviation infrastructure in India often unfolds over a decade or more. Early planning activity, land notifications and initial clearances date back several years before the current construction push. Target opening dates were revised more than once, as land disputes, design adjustments and financing negotiations played out.

Travel and aviation watchers in Andhra Pradesh note that for residents of Visakhapatnam and neighboring districts, the practical impact of these delays has been limited connectivity and congestion at the existing civil enclave, which operates within a defence airfield. Airlines and passengers have had to adapt to slot constraints and infrastructure limits while waiting for Bhogapuram’s larger runways, expanded apron space and modern terminal facilities.

Accounts from regional commentary suggest that the airport was, at various times, expected to open earlier than its current projected window, with some reports pointing to earlier inauguration plans that did not materialise. Each missed target has become part of the political narrative, with parties using revised deadlines as evidence either of prudent caution or of administrative failure.

For the travel sector, the key question is not only when the first commercial flights will take off, but how quickly the airport will scale to a full schedule of domestic and international services that can support tourism circuits along the Andhra coast and inland pilgrimage routes.

Implications for air travel and tourism in North Andhra

Once operational, Bhogapuram is expected to transform access to destinations across North Andhra, including Visakhapatnam’s beaches, Araku Valley, Buddhist heritage sites and temple towns across Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts. Planners have positioned the airport as a hub that can support both outbound business traffic and inbound leisure demand from other parts of India and overseas.

Infrastructure plans highlighted in government and project documents refer to multi‑lane highway links to Visakhapatnam, connections to national highways and potential integration with future rail or metro corridors. These surface links will be critical in determining whether travelers perceive Bhogapuram as a convenient gateway or a distant secondary airport, particularly for short‑haul business trips.

Hospitality stakeholders in and around Visakhapatnam have argued in recent commentary that a fully functioning international airport could support higher‑value segments such as meetings and incentive travel, cruise tourism through the city’s port, and extended coastal itineraries linking Andhra Pradesh with neighboring Odisha and Telangana. Delays in making the airport operational are therefore seen not only as a political issue but as a drag on wider regional tourism strategies.

At the same time, local communities and civil society groups have periodically raised concerns about land use, environmental impact on coastal ecosystems and equitable sharing of economic benefits. How these concerns are addressed during the airport’s ramp‑up phase is likely to influence its long‑term acceptance as a regional development anchor.

Travelers watch as political credit wars continue

Pemmasani’s decision to publicly blame Jagan Mohan Reddy for the project’s slow progress underlines how infrastructure has become central to Andhra Pradesh’s political messaging. While the current state administration seeks to associate itself with acceleration and completion, opposition figures highlight their role in earlier planning and approvals, and point to gaps in execution.

The debate over Bhogapuram echoes similar arguments seen around other large Indian airports, where planning, land assembly, tendering and construction often span multiple governments. Analysts of state politics note that as projects approach completion, disputes over who delayed or enabled them tend to sharpen, especially when ribbon‑cutting ceremonies are in sight.

For passengers and airlines, however, the focus is primarily on operational dates, route announcements and the quality of on‑ground facilities. Travel industry observers expect carriers to initially shift key Visakhapatnam routes to Bhogapuram once commercial operations are cleared, with low‑cost and full‑service airlines likely to test additional connections if traffic ramps up as projected.

As political leaders continue to trade charges over the airport’s troubled gestation, residents of North Andhra remain largely concerned with whether the new gateway will finally deliver the promised improvements in connectivity, convenience and economic opportunity that have been discussed around Bhogapuram for nearly a decade.