MLAs poaching row: BJP killing democracy, alleges TRS

Khammam: Protests erupted in erstwhile Khammam district against BJP following the party's attempt to lure TRS (BRS) MLAs into its fold by offering huge cash to them.

Following a call given by the TRS leadership for protests, an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was paraded by TRS cadres from Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar's camp office in VDO's Colony to Yellandu Circle here on Thursday.

Later, they burnt the effigy of Modi shouting slogans saying 'Down with Modi'. Mayor P Neeraja, Agriculture Market Committee chairperson D Lakshmi Prasanna, the party leaders Karnati Krishna and Kamartapu Murali said BJP was killing democracy in the country by luring MLAs with money.

They stated that BJP's cheap political games would not yield any result in Telangana. The party leaders and cadres have total faith in Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's leadership and they cannot be bought with money.

Chandrashekhar Rao was the only one leader in the country who was questioning the corrupt politics of Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Hence they launched a conspiracy to destabilise the Telangana government, the leaders alleged.

The BJP leaders feared that if the Chief Minister entered into national politics, their party's popularity among people across the country would be damaged. The elected governments of Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka were illegally overthrown by BJP and that party has plotted to do the same in Telangana, said Neeraja.

PM Modi and his party leaders were mocking democracy by trying to buy the TRS MLAs with the ill-gotten money There was evidence that each MLA was lured by the promise of 100 crore contracts.

But the TRS MLAs would not be sold out like Congress MLA K Raj Gopal Reddy, who sold himself to BJP for Rs 18, 000 crore contract. There were no leaders like Raj Gopal Reddy and Eknath Shinde of Maharashtra in TRS , the leaders stated. Similar protests were staged in Kothagudem, Yellandu, Manugur, Sathupalli, Wyra, Madhira and others places.

Chief Minister and TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao held a meeting with the four MLAs, who were allegedly poached by BJP, at Pragati Bhavan on Wednesday night. The meeting, also attended by Ministers KT Rama Rao and Harish Rao and a few party senior leaders, continued till Wednesday midnight. The four MLAs reportedly explained to KCR, how they were lured by BJP leaders.

Cyberabad Police Commissioner Stephen Ravindra and other senior police officials had secretly inquired TRS MLA Pilot Rohith Reddy, in whose farmhouse, the BJP allegedly tried to 'buy' four TRS MLAs. Later, they took him in police vehicle to Pragati Bhavan. The remaining three MLAs – Guvvala Balaraju, Rega Kantha Rao and Harsha Vardhan Reddy – also reached there.

Following this, the TRS leaders gave a call for State-wide agitations on Thursday. The four MLAs are likely address a press meet on Thursday, TRS sources informed.

It should be noted here that within seconds after the press meet of the Police Commissioner, allegations about BJP trying to poach TRS MLAs and other details went viral on social media platforms.

The Telangana Ministers and leaders of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi staged protests in different parts of the State on Wednesday night to protest against what they called an attempt by the BJP to buy TRS MLAs.

TRS leaders staged a dharna at Choutuppal near Hyderabad on Vijayawada highway. Ministers Gangula Kamalakar and Indrakaran Reddy participated in the protest.

The protesters raised slogans against BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They alleged that the saffron party was trying to pull down the TRS government by luring its MLAs with offers of money and posts.

The protest led to a traffic jam on Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway. Similar protests were organised by the ruling party leaders in other districts.

Earlier, police claimed that it caught three persons while they were trying to 'buy' four MLAs of TRS

The four were detained during a raid at a farm house at Aziz Nagar on the city outskirts while offering money to four MLAs.

Cyberabad police conducted the raids on a tip-off by the legislators.

Cyberabad Police Commissioner Stephen Ravindra said the deal could be to the tune of Rs 100 crore.

TRS MLAs Rega Kantha Rao, Guvvala Balaraju, Beeram Harshvardhan Reddy and Pilot Rohit Reddy had alerted police that attempts were being made to lure them to switch loyalties.

Those detained are Ramachandra Bharati alias S. Satish Sharma from Delhi and Simhayajulu from Tirupati, both said to be temple priests and Nanda Kumar, a businessman from Hyderabad said to be close to a union minister.

Meanwhile, four MLAs met Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao at Pragati Bhavan, the official residence of the chief minister. Ministers K.T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao were also present.

In the meeting, KCR discussed the latest developments with ministers and other party leaders.