HYDERABAD: Stepping up its offensive, the BJP approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Delhi on Friday and urged it to take immediate steps to stop the false propaganda being spread by the TRS on the alleged attempt to poach MLAs. It also urged the ECI to order a CBI inquiry into the episode.
Union minister Rajeev Chandrashekar and senior party leaders Arun Singh, Anil Baluni and Om Pathak, called on ECI officials and said a fake FIR was registered by the Telangana police following a complaint by TRS legislator P. Rohith Reddy that he was lured with an offer of Rs. 100 crore to join the BJP. Failing which, he would be “raided by ED and CBI and several criminal cases would be registered against him,” the MLA claimed, the letter stated.
They said a complaint was lodged by Moinabad police “at the behest of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. The complaint is yet another attempt by the TRS to vitiate the ensuing byelection. The TRS has violated provisions under Section 123(4) of Representation of People Act 1951,” the letter alleged.
Later, Arun Singh told reporters “We asked the commission to take immediate and deterrent action against the perpetrators. The TRS propaganda that we are trying to purchase four of its MLAs is a conspiracy to unduly influence voters in Munugode. We demanded a CBI inquiry into the episode.”
He said, “We are coming to power in Telangana with an overwhelming majority in 2023. What will we do with four MLAs when they have 100?”
He said luring MLAs in the manner claimed by the TRS ‘is not in the nature of BJP.”
Referring to some leaked audio tapes, he said, “Such audios are meant to influence voters. ECI must put an immediate end to such murky acts by the ruling party so that people can vote without being under any undue influence or pressure.”
