Cash for MLAs: Case registered against alleged BJP emissaries for trying to poach four TRS MLAs

The police had late on Wednesday raided a farmhouse at Aziznagar in Cyberabad’s Moinabad area, and foiled an alleged bid to lure the MLAs with money, reportedly to switch allegiance to the BJP.

The police detained the three men who had held talks with the MLAs on Wednesday itself. However, the police did not mention the party that the reported emissaries represented. Nor did it reveal the amount of cash seized, if any, during the raid.

The four TRS MLAs who informed the police that they were being offered money and contracts to switch sides. (Supplied)

The case was registered based on a complaint by one of the four TRS MLAs, Pilot Rohit Reddy, whom the emissaries had targeted.

The police registered the under sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 171-B (bribery) read with 171-E (punishment for bribery), and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) read with 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and section 8 of Prevention of Corruption Act.

Besides Rohit Reddy representing Tandur in the Telangana Legislative Assembly, the accused had also held talks with Rega Kantha Rao (Pinapaka), Beeram Harshavardhan Reddy (Kollapur), and Guvvala Balaraju (Achampet).

What Rohit Reddy’s complaint says

In his complaint, Rohit Reddy said Ramachandra Bharathi, alias Satish Sharma, and  Nanda Kumar, both belonging to BJP, contacted him a month ago on September 26.

The men, Rohit Reddy alleged, asked him to resign from the TRS and contest the 2023 Assembly election as a BJP candidate.

Quoting the MLA, the FIR said the men offered him ₹100 crore and ₹50 crore each to other MLAs he would bring with him. The MLA was also offered central government’s civil contract works and high positions at the Centre.

Rohit Reddy also alleged that the men threatened to register criminal cases against him if he refused their offer and joined the BJP. He was also warned of Enforcement Directorate and CBI raids.

The MLA was also told that he would soon be in dire straits since the BJP was planning to topple the TRS government.

Rohit Reddy said he decided not to entertain the men since he believed that any offer of bribes and other inducements by a political party were unethical and undemocratic. It would encourage corruption and pollute public life.

‘Bid to destabilise TRS government’

The duo, the FIR added, contacted Rohit Reddy again on 26 October, and asked him to woo other TRS MLAs. They asked him to bring the other MLAs to his farmhouse so that the cash could be handed over to them to join the BJP and destabilise the TRS government.

The two persons told Rohit Reddy that he and the other MLAs should unsettle the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led TRS government.

They allegedly told him that Simhayaji Swamy would also join them at the farmhouse before finalising the deal. As he did not want to encourage unethical practices, he urged the police to take legal action against them and those behind the scenes, the MLA reportedly said.

Incidentally, the alleged poaching bid came even as TRS supremo Chandrasekhar Rao has been trying for a larger role in national politics.

TRS targets Amit Shah, Kishan Reddy

Soon after the police rain on the farm house and the detention of the three men, the TRS went on the offensive, accusing Union Home Minister Amit Shah of orchestrating the operation to buy off the party’s MLAs.

Y Sathish Reddy, TRS social media convenor, alleged in a series of tweets that “three agents” of Shah were involved in failed operation to bribe the TRS MLAs.

He also alleged that one the three emissaries, local hotelier Nandakumar, was close to Union Tourism Minister Kishan Reddy.