Tushar Vellapally rubbishes KCR claim

Thiruvananthapuram: Tushar Vellapally who heads the BDJS -- an ally of the BJP-led NDA in Kerala -- on Friday rubbished claims of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao that he was behind the sensational MLAs' poaching case.

Tushar is the son of the SNDP strongman Vellapally Natesan and informed the media here that he had no role in it.

"I have not contacted any MLAs and I have had no role in this. If they claim to have evidence, let them bring it. Whatever has come out there is nothing to prove my involvement," said Tushar, who is presently out of the state.

Tushar was the candidate of BDJS against Rahul Gandhi at Wayanad in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and speculations were rife that he would be made a Union Minister to please the powerful Hindu Ezhava community to which he belongs, but nothing happened. According to the Telangana chief minister, one of the three arrested persons, alleged to be the agents of the BJP, spoke to Tushar Vellapally and he also released a photograph of Tushar with Home Minister Amit Shah.

KCR alleged that three agents of BJP were arrested in Hyderabad while trying to buy four MLAs of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) by offering huge money.

The Chief Minister presented video and audio evidence to expose the alleged BJP 'conspiracy' to buy TRS MLAs at Rs 100 crore.

KCR, as Rao is popularly known, said the entire evidence, including the conversation the 'brokers' had with the MLAs has been sent to the Telangana High Court.

He revealed that the evidence has also been sent to the Chief Justice of India, all Supreme Court judges, chief justices of all high courts, agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and the media.

Citing the conversation the accused had with the TRS MLAs over phone and in person, he said they spoke about eight state governments already toppled and the plans to topple governments in four states -- Telangana, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.

KCR claimed that after catching the gang red-handed, he alerted the AAP government in Delhi about the conspiracy to topple it.

The Chief Minister claimed to have three-hour long footage in which the accused explained how they toppled the eight governments and what they plan to do to topple others.