The cash-for-vote scam involving a Telugu Desam MlA seems to be turning into a political war between Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu as TDP leaders were apprehensive that the Telganana Government was out to corner Naidu in the case.
Even as the Telangana Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) was making a forceful plea for the custody of TDP MlA A Revanth Reddy for questioning about a bribe allegation to a nominated MlA Elvis Stephenson, Chandrababu Naidu and his AP Cabinet and party colleagues have gone on an offensive saying KCR was hatching a conspiracy.
Revanth Reddy along with two other aides was caught by the ACB sleuths last Sunday while handing over a Rs50 lakh case to the nominated MlA to seek his vote for the TDP candidate in the legislative Council elections.
A day after the Telangana ACB chief AK Khan and State Intelligence chief Shviadhar Reddy met KCR, speculations were rife that the Telangana Government was pulling out all the stops to see that the name of Chandrababu Naidu was added as an accused and the brain behind the cash-for-vote scam.
Sources said that the ACB will take action only after it was clearly established with concrete evidence that Naidu was involved in the case. “Such a step can be taken only if there is a strong evidence which can stand the scrutiny of the court of law”, an official said, pointing out the sensitivity of the issue involving Chief Minister of another State.
The first indication of the Telangana Government letting Naidu off the hook came from the statement of Telangana Home Minister N Narasimha Reddy that the ACB had audio records of phone calls between Revanth Reddy and Chandrababu Naidu.
“We have proof to show that Chandrababu Naidu was the key person in this case”, Narasimha Reddy claimed evoking a sharp reaction from the Andhra Pradesh Government. “I will not be cowed down by any such threat”, Naidu said. “Infact you should book a case against your Chief Minister. How he can give a Cabinet berth to a TDP MlAIJ” he asked.
AP Deputy Chief Minister N China Rajappa also challenged the TRS Government to book Naidu in the case. “This is a conspiracy hatched by Telangana Chief Minister to defame the TDP leadership, especially our Chief Minister”, he said.
Rejecting the allegations that Naidu was encouraging unethical activities, he said that it was KCR in the nexus with YS Jaganmohan Reddy who was encouraging corruption. He also wondered how Revanth Reddy’s case can come under the purview of the ACB.
Meanwhile, adding another twist to the case, fourth accused in the cash-for-vote case, Jerusalem Muttaiah, appeared before local media to allege that he was under pressure to drag the name of Chandrababu Naidu in the case.
Muttaiah, who had also met the nominated MlA during negotiations for his votes told a TV channel that he was receiving threat calls to give a written statement against Chandrababu Naidu. “They want me to say Babu was involved in this case and that Revanth Reddy had taken me to Babu”.
He confirmed that he had met Stephenson as the secretary of All India Dalit Christian Forum to find out his preference for voting in legislative council elections. “When I realised that he was against the TRS Government, I told the TDP leaders that he was likely to vote in favour of TDP”, he said, denying that he was instrumental in arranging the bribe for the MlA.