Hyderabad:
Telangana Prime Minister K Chandrashekar Rao today attacked the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming that “Delhi brokers” tried to bribe the four MLAs of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi party. The reference to Wednesday’s incident at a farmhouse in Telangana sparked a political storm in the state ahead of a significant preliminary investigation likely to test his party.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused it of “promoting this kind of politics” and said he would “not let a single vote from a weaver’s family go to the BJP”.
“What more do you want from Prime Minister Modi? There is no bigger office than Prime Minister, right? You have been Prime Minister not once but twice.So why all this fuss? Why this wickedness and why this anarchy?” he said at a meeting in Mnugode, where by-elections are scheduled for November 3.
The BJP denied the allegations of poaching, declaring it a drama “written, directed and produced” by the prime minister. The BJP has also contacted the courts and the Electoral Commission.
“Some Delhi brokers came to challenge Telangana’s self-esteem…they offered four MLAs with Rs 100 crore,” Rao said, claiming “Operation Lotus”. and called the police to the farmhouse. Three people, including a businessman, were arrested.
Ramachandra Bharati’s aliases Satish Sharma, Nanda Kumar and Simhayaj Swamiyat were sent to a detention center for 14 days.
The Prime Minister said, “They (BJP) wanted to catch Telangana… I am telling the farmers, when they vote they must vote carefully. I can’t.”
On Wednesday, Telangana Rashtra Samithi MLA pilot Rohith Reddy lodged a complaint with the police, claiming that BJP associates Ramachandra Bharati and Nanda Kumar met him and offered him 100 crore rupees to join the BJP.
The complaint also noted that they threatened criminal prosecution through central authorities such as the Central Investigation Bureau if they did not comply.
The allegations were raised ahead of the by-elections in Mnugode. This is the first election since Rao launched the national version of his party, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
