Dressed as labourers, taking tractor rides, haggling for posts, offering crores: Telangana cash-for-MLA row accused lay bare modus operandi.
Accused in Cash for MLA row (from left) Nanda Kumar of Hyderabad, Simhayaji Swamy of Tirupati, and Ramachandra Bharathi, alias Satish Sharma, a resident of Faridabad near Delhi. (Supplied)
“Talks are sealed with Arvind Kejriwal’s right-hand man to make AAP MLAs in Delhi join the BJP.”
“Eknath Shinde was only promised the deputy chief minister’s post, but we made him chief minister of Maharashtra later.”
“In Karnataka, we promised to give ministries to 12 MLAs who joined, but we gave 13 MLAs Cabinet berths. That’s the level of our commitment.”
These were the claims and promises made by alleged emissaries of the BJP, who can be heard in videos released by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao boasting about toppling democratically elected governments.
In the videos released by the TRS, the alleged BJP emissaries are seen and heard not just offering hundreds of crores to TRS MLAs to jump ship, but also narrating how they conducted similar “operations” in other states.
The term here refers to “Operation Kamala” or “Operation Lotus” — an infamous moniker that describes instances of the BJP poaching MLAs from other parties to break away, the “lotus” being a reference to the BJP’s electoral symbol.
In the video released by TRS, Satish Sharma aka Ramachandra Bharathi is heard explaining to the TRS MLAs how he went about poaching MLAs from the Congress in Karnataka.
The introduction to the narration is, however, given by another accused: Simhayaji Swamy.
“Swamiji (Satish Sharma) wore a panche, tied a kerchief around his head, held a digging bar, and travelled in a tractor during the Karnataka operation,” Simhayaji is heard telling TRS MLAs.
“We had to pose as labourers,” Sharma jumps in to take over. “First we went to Ramanagara. I will tell you the dates, you can check if on Google as well.”
He continued: “We went to a resort — Eagleton — that was under complete Congress control. We picked up the MLAs in a tractor and took them to Yelahanka. From there we got on a Volvo bus. The MLAs dressed up like workers as well.”
A few moments earlier in the video, when the TRS MLAs ask when the money will be exchanged, Sharma is heard describing another instance of poaching — this time of a Karnataka Congress MLA.
“While operating in Karnataka, we took them via vehicle directly to Chennai. And from Chennai, they went to Mumbai on a general flight. Only after he reached Mumbai did we deliver on our promises,” he is heard saying.
“In all our operations, money has been delivered only after the MLA reaches their designated place, but only here — for the first time — we are offering 50 percent money on the spot and 50 percent after you come to Delhi,” Sharma is heard assuring the TRS MLAs.
Screenshot from Dr K Sudhakar’s Twitter handle dated 22 September 2018. (South First)
In July 2019, a day before then chief minister HD Kumaraswamy — who was heading the Congress-JD(S) coalition government — was set to take a floor test, Congress MLA Shrimant Patil went missing from a resort in Devanahalli, where other legislators of the party were huddled up as well.
Patil later said that he went to Chennai via road and then took a flight to Mumbai for “treatment”. He later resigned from the Congress and joined other rebel MLAs who were already in Mumbai.
MTB Nagaraj boarding a chartered flight from Bengaluru’s HAL to Mumbai on 14 July, 2019 after resigning from Congress. (Anusha Ravi Sood)
Around a year before the Patil incident, then Congress MLA and now Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar was caught in September 2018 teaming up with two more MLAs — MTB Nagaraj and H Nagesh — travelling to Tamil Nadu, sparking speculation over the trio deserting the coalition.
Sudhakar vehemently denied reports that he and his colleagues were approached by the BJP as part of its Operation Kamala to jump ship, and insisted that the trio visited a temple in Tamil Nadu.
In 2019, the AIADMK was the ruling party in Tamil Nadu, and the BJP was an alliance partner.
In July 2019 all three legislators resigned as MLAs and left for Mumbai to join other rebel MLAs of the JD(S)-Congress coalition.
They submitted their resignation to the then Karnataka Assembly speaker, Ramesh Kumar, on the same day.
Currently, MTB Nagaraj and K Sudhakar are both ministers in the BJP government in Karnataka led by Basavaraj Bommai.
In the videos released by the TRS, the alleged BJP emissaries are heard repeatedly referring to BL Santhosh — the BJP’s national general secretary for organisation — as being the force behind such “operations”.
“BL Santhosh ji operated on AAP MLAs as well. The discussion is done and the meeting is over. We have 36 MLAs ready now,” Sharma is heard saying.
As the TRS MLAs goad him to part with specific information on who is being poached, Sharma refers to the “right hand of Kejriwal”, adding that none of the AAP MLAs has asked for money.
“In Delhi, nobody wants money. They haven’t asked for a single rupee. We are just changing power and will give them a post. Not a single rupee is being paid. The chief minister will be from the BJP, and the AAP will get the deputy chief minister post and ministries,” Sharma is heard saying.
“This is not collapsing governments. Are you happy with this government? Wherever we have toppled governments, we have kept our word. In Karnataka, we toppled the government with 16 MLAs joining us. We assured 12 would get ministries, but we gave 13 got them. Our own MLAs, who have won [the Assembly election] five-six times didn’t become ministers. If I am making a commitment to you, then you will get ministry,” Sharma is heard saying.
The trio also spoke of an operation in Maharashtra with Shiv Sena MLAs.
“Actually, (Eknath) Shinde was offered the deputy chief minister’s post and not the chief minister’s. I gave him my personal commitment. But after discussions and him getting the numbers, he said he would become the chief minister. The BJP agreed to make him chief minister. Although he doesn’t have any experience, he is still managing and will continue as chief minister till his tenure ends,” Sharma is seen telling the TRS MLAs, assuring them that he will not interfere in any matter after his work is done.
“Once you sit in position, we are out. I will make an appointment and come to meet you. That is my protocol. If there are issues, you come to us and we will help you,” he is heard saying.
K Chandrashekar Rao, during his press conference last week, repeatedly accused the BJP of toppling elected governments across the country. The statements, claims, and promises made by the three accused in the cash-for-MLA row were proof of the BJP’s modus operandi Rao claimed.
On Tuesday, the Telangana High Court lifted the stay imposed on investigating the role of the three persons in allegedly luring the TRS MLAs to the BJP.
The videos, whose time codes show the date of recording as 26 October, 2022, have been produced by Rao as evidence of the BJP’s unconstitutional and undemocratic methods to topple elected governments in the country. The BJP has vehemently rejected Rao’s allegations.
Apr 16, 2024
Apr 16, 2024
Apr 16, 2024
Apr 16, 2024
Apr 16, 2024
