HYDERABAD: THE sudden move by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to review the progress of investigation into the cash-for-vote case -- in which Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu is facing charges -- has caused sorts of a political commotion in both the Telugu-speaking States.
Further, the TS government’s reported proposal to order a probe into the land scams that occurred during the previous regimes of TDP and Congress in the erstwhile united State too has created a furore among political circles. Prime accused in the cash-for-vote case A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday alleged that Telangana Chief Minister KCR was acting as a pawn in the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to frighten AP Chief Minister Naidu.
“KCR is unable to digest the way Naidu is questioning Centre’s unfulfilled promises. As the Andhra Pradesh CM has given a call to people to defeat the BJP that did injustice to AP, KCR is now trying to reopen the case to threaten Naidu as per Modi’s directions,” Revanth alleged. Revanth, who was caught red-handed by the ACB while offering `50 lakh as a bribe to TRS-nominated Anglo-Indian MLA Elvis Stephenson to vote for the TDP candidate during the TS MLC polls in 2015, alleged that he was questioning the “scams” in the TS government.
KCR has suddenly reviewed the investigation into the cash-for-vote case to target Naidu and himself, Revanth alleged. “I can’t speak about the case as the matter is in Court. But, I won’t cower down to such threats,” he asserted. The Kodangal MLA, who is now in the Congress Party, further accused KCR of pursuing political vendetta against the leaders belonging to opposition parties.
“As many as 125 ACB cases were dropped by the TS government in 2016 itself. KCR is allowing the officers, who are caught by the ACB, go scot-free, if they belong to his own caste,” he alleged. Jerusalem Mathai (known as Mathaiah), who was A-4 in the case, sought CBI enquiry into the case. Mathaiah alleged that KCR had reviewed the case at the behest of BJP leadership. “I demand that CBI probe be ordered into both the cases--- cash-for-vote and telephone tapping as both Naidu and KCR, are using the cases to suit their own needs,” he said.
YSRC: Nab the mastermind
A day after CM K Chandrasekhar Rao reviewed the progress of cash-for-vote case, YSR Congress on Tuesday requested KCR to initiate penal process in a fair manner and bring the “mastermind” of the scam to book. While addressing media persons here on Tuesday, party senior leader Botcha Satyanarayana requested the TRS government in the State to conduct an impartial enquiry into the case and bring the main persons responsible for the act to book.
Congress does a dramatic U-turn
Congress leaders, who had vociferously sought fitting punishment to the culprits in the cash-for-vote scam involving A Revanth Reddy when he was in the TDP, have now done a dramatic U-turn on the case. They see a sort of political vendetta behind CM KCR’s sudden review of the case.“ As Revanth has become a pain in the neck for KCR by questioning his government’s failures, the CM is now trying to open cases pending against Congress leaders.