Published Mar 15, 2026 | 8:27 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 15, 2026 | 8:27 PM
Mahesh Kumar Yadav was arrested along with 11 others on Saturday.
Synopsis: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu has asked Eluru MP Putta Mahesh Kumar Yadav to stay away from party activities after he tested positive for narcotics following his arrest by Hyderabad Police at a farmhouse party. Naidu has also asked state TDP president Palla Srinivas Rao to issue a notice seeking an explanation and to submit a report on the incident.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday, 15 March directed Eluru MP Putta Mahesh Kumar Yadav to stay away from party activities, a day after he tested positive for narcotics following his arrest by Hyderabad Police at a farmhouse party.
Naidu also instructed state TDP president Palla Srinivas Rao to issue a notice to the MP seeking an explanation and to submit a report on the incident.
The TDP supremo made it clear that no one would be spared in incidents involving drugs. He said the party would not allow individuals’ mistakes or weaknesses to bring disrepute to it.
Sources in the TDP said the leadership had earlier raised concerns about the MP’s conduct. They said the party had long found his demeanour problematic.
They also pointed to a history of murky businesses, often ending in bankruptcy, and what they described as shady personal relationships that had already cast a shadow over him.
Party sources said the leadership, unhappy with the latest development, is keen to suspend Yadav after the internal report is submitted.
Mahesh Kumar Yadav was among 11 people arrested by the Cyberabad Narcotics Police Station unit of the Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement.
Police said the raid followed “credible intelligence, sustained surveillance and community input”. Officers recovered 0.26 grams of cocaine, a .32 calibre revolver and large quantities of liquor, including beer, whisky and vodka of various premium brands.
The farmhouse is owned by former BRS MLA Pilot Rohith Reddy, who also tested positive for narcotics. Mahesh Kumar Yadav was later granted station bail. Sources said he was moved out through a back route to avoid media attention.
The development is politically sensitive because the TDP, after returning to power in Andhra Pradesh in 2024, announced a zero-tolerance policy on drug abuse and launched the campaign “Say No To Drugs”. The party used the campaign to criticise the previous YSR Congress Party government, accusing it of widespread drug use during its tenure from 2019 to 2024.
