Telangana BRS leader who complained of ‘BJP bid to poach MLAs’ gets ED summons
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Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) MLA P Rohith Reddy, who is the complainant in the MLA poaching bid case, has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate to appear before it on December 19.
“The ED has asked for details of my businesses, bank statements of my and my family members’ accounts. It is not mentioned in the notice in which case I have been summoned,” the MLA said.
Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar has been alleging for several days that the Tandur MLA was involved in illegal drugs trade and money laundering.
A magistrate recorded the MLA’s statement on Tuesday on a request from the special investigation team that inquires into the allegation that three BJP members—Ramachandra Bharati alias Satish Sharma, Nanda Kumar and Simhayaji Swami— had tried to lure Rohith Reddy and three other BRS MLAs into defecting to the BJP by offering bribes.
The MLA’s statement, on how he was allegedly approached by the three people and offered money, would be examined by a court after a chargesheet is filed in the case.
Rohith Reddy, who started his political career with the now-defunct Praja Rajyam Party floated by actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi, is a director in Everest Infra Ventures (India) Private Limited.
When Telangana was formed, he joined the TRS but the party fielded Mahender Reddy from Tandur in the 2014 Assembly polls. Though he won and was made a minister, Mahender fought with Rohith for the upper hand in the constituency. Eventually the TRS expelled Rohith from the party and he joined the Congress. In the December 2018 elections, Rohith contested on a Congress ticket and defeated Mahender. The MLA returned to the TRS later. Since then, both Mahendar and Rohith have been feuding in public, often making accusations of corruption and neglect of the constituency.
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On October 26, the Cyberabad police raided the Tandur MLA’s farmhouse at Moinabad and arrested the three alleged BJP members on charges of trying to lure BRS MLAs Rohith Reddy, G Balraj, Harvardhan Reddy and R Kantha Rao with bribes.
As per the FIR, police received a petition from Rohith Reddy that Ramachandra Bharati and Nanda Kumar met him on September 26 and urged him to resign from the TRS and contest the next election on a BJP ticket. They allegedly offered Rs 100 crore for him, central government contract works, and high central government positions ensuring monetary benefits.
The FIR states that the duo also told the MLA that if he did not join the BJP, he would have to face criminal cases and ED and CBI raids. They also allegedly threatened to topple the Telangana government.
On October 26, they allegedly contacted him again and said they were coming to his farmhouse for negotiations and asked him to mobilise the other BRS MLAs, for each of whom a bribe of Rs 50 crore was allegedly offered to join the BJP.
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The FIR also states that the four MLAs were asked not to discharge their duties honestly so that the BRS government would be destabilised.
Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance.
Expertise and Experience
Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues:
High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules.
Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes.
Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak.
Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More
