In the complaint, they said Revanth Reddy, Venugopal and Thakre were involved in corruption while issuing tickets to Congress candidates.
Published Oct 20, 2023 | 2:28 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 20, 2023 | 2:29 PM
TPCC president Revanth Reddy releasing the application form for ticket aspirants in Hyderabad.
Congress leaders who are disgruntled over the non-allotment of tickets for them to contest the 30 November Assembly polls in Telangana are unwittingly giving a lot of ammo to the BRS to target their party.
Their latest antic of approaching the Enforcement Directorate (ED) with a complaint of money laundering against Congress state president A Revanth Reddy, has come in handy for the BRS to flay the party.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao, who laces his words in sarcasm while hitting out at the Congress, referred to the complaint, to discredit the Congress.
In a post on X, he said: “While Scamgress scion Rahul Gandhi preaches sermons about corruption, Telangana Congress leaders complain to ED (Enforcement Directorate) for an investigation into what he called the ‘Note for Seat’ scam of the president of the TPCC who is already a known fraud caught red-handed in ‘Vote for Note’ scam.”
As an afterthought, he added: “This is probably why Mahatma Gandhiji recommended that Congress be disbanded after Independence.”
While Scamgress scion Rahul Gandhi preaches sermons about corruption;
Telangana Congress leaders complain to ED (Enforcement Directorate) for an investigation into “Note for Seat” Scam of TPCC president who’s already a known fraud caught red handed in “Vote for Note” scam 😂… pic.twitter.com/99q2AImMuZ
— KTR (@KTRBRS) October 20, 2023
Speaking to South First, Kurva Vijaya Kumar, who, along with another Congress leader Kalim Baba, submitted a memorandum to the ED, said that they had sought action against not only Revanth Reddy, but also party general secretary KC Venugopal and Telangana incharge Manikrao Thakre.
“They had sold the tickets. This cannot continue for long,” he said.
He, however, said he woukd not contemplate joining any other party.
“I am committed to the Congress. My demand is the removal of Revanth Reddy as TPCC )Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee) president. I want to see Rahul Gandhi as the prime minister of India,” he said.
In the complaint sent to the director of ED, the Congress leaders said that Revanth Reddy, Venugopal, and Thakre were brazenly involved in corruption, money laundering, extortion, and property deals while issuing tickets to party candidates for the 30 November Assembly election.
The entire process has been reduced to an exercise of ‘Cash for Ticket’, they alleged.
They also drew the ED’s attention to the I-T Department sleuths seizing ₹42 crore in one raid in Bengaluru as already ₹8 crore had reached Revanth Reddy’s “secret sources”.
Vijaya Kumar alleged that the Gadwal Assembly ticket, which he had sought, was sold for ₹10 crore and five acres of land to Saritha Tirupataiah.
As soon as the first list of the Congress candidates was released a couple of days ago, those who could not make the cut were up in arms against Revanth Reddy for denial of tickets to them.
Of them, Kurva Vijaya Kumar (Gadwal), Ragidi Lakshma Reddy (Uppal), and Kalim Baba (Bahadurpura) were the most vocal, abusing Revanth Reddy for allotting tickets for pecuniary considerations.
Vijaya Kumar and Lakshma Reddy created a big scene in Hyderabad by visiting Mahalaskhmi Temple at Charminar and offering prayers to the presiding deity.
Later, the two leaders doused themselves in kumkum water to drive home the point that what they were saying was true that Revanth Reddy had sold the tickets for handsome gains.
They dared Revanth Reddy to take an oath at the temple and say that he did not indulge in any wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, Ragidi Lakshma Reddy joined the BRS, bidding adieu to the Congress.
Both Kurva and Ragidi, after taking oath at Bhagya Lakshmi temple, said they were suspended after they had brought to the notice of the party leadership how Revanth Reddy had sold tickets.
Vijaya Kumar, giving out a slogan, “Revanth Reddy hatao, Congress bachao“, sought action against the TPCC chief.
Revanth Reddy is not new to allegations. When he was made the president of the TPCC in June 2021, Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkata Reddy had alleged that he had “purchased” the post by bribing the then Telangana in-charge Manickam Tagore.
The earlier “cash-for-vote scam” has always been a ready-to-use weapon in the BRS’ armoury against Revanth Reddy.
The political scandal shook the two Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in 2015 when Revanth Reddy was caught red-handed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau while allegedly offering a bribe of ₹50 lakh to a nominated member, Elvis Stephenson, to vote for a TDP candidate in the Legislative Council elections.
