Operation Farmhouse: KCR upsets Bandi Sanjay's 'orange cart'

HYDERABAD: Irrespective of the denouncement of the Operation Farmhouse soap opera, for it may get dragged into multiple episodes henceforth — now that the lid was blown off, one thing KCR for sure has achieved is to upset the "orange cart" of Bandi Sanjay, the Telangana BJP unit president.

KCR also exposed how incoherent any leader gets to speak in a knee-jerk reaction.

The political vicissitudes that would ensue this episode would surely be unpalatable for the BJP which has pinned very high hopes on the by-election of Munugode Assembly seat. It's not the money that's spent in Munugode by the serious contenders that came to be questioned.

First, it's the Rs. 18,000 cr mining contract awarded to Sushee Infra, promoted by BJP candidate Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy, a staunch Congressman, who has since switched sides as part of the quid pro quo arrangement. When Working President of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) K T Rama Rao delivered googley with a not so much of a precision — alleging Rajgopal Reddy was "bought over" with a Rs. 22,000 crore contract, the BJP contestant did the unthinkable — a hit wicket. He revealed that it's Rs.18,000 crore and not Rs. 22,000 crore as erroneously mentioned by KTR. This seemed more like an errant Editor publishing a correction expressing regrets for an inadvertent goof-up.

Thus, the second digit that came to make headlines, an oft-repeated mention in BJP leaders (specifically Vivek Venkataswamy, albeit more out of jealousy), that was permanently etched in the minds of people across Telangana was Rs.1,800,00,00,000.

The next big number is the "offer price" purportedly made for the four MLAs of the TRS - Rs. 100 crore each - a whopping Rs. 400,00,00,000.

The next big number is the worth of assets declared by the Rajgopal Reddy couple in the affidavit while filing his nomination papers. This is staggering Rs. 275,00,00,000.

The next big number would be the final unofficial expenditure by the candidates. By any standard, Rajgopal Reddy would outsmart his competitors in this, though who will emerge the dark horse in the race is only a matter of time.

The episode of poaching MLAs caused tremors within the BJP and signalled a sense of fear among those, if any, nursing an idea of crossing over to the BJP from the TRS. No amount of caution can insulate them from being caught. This message has sent unexpressed chills down the proverbial spines of those who considered "showing some spine" by becoming political turncoats. They won't venture any more. TRS enthusiasts trended #TelanganaNotForSale on Twitter last night and this will surely act as a vaccine to prevent the 'defector mutant' within the legislators.

Very close associates of Bandi Sanjay actually advised him to systematically poach TRS MLAs. After Eatala Rajender's jump into the BJP and his subsequent victory must have emboldened the rustic local boss of the BJP to go ahead with his plans. He was advised to poach one MLA at a time and thrust a by-election in the State to keep KCR and TRS busy on their toes always. Every victory in a by-election by the BJP would jeopardise the prospects of the TRS was the idea.

Though he meticulously chose Rajgopal Reddy as the next trump card, he doesn't seem to fit in the prescribed sequence - 1. Because of his high net worth, 2. Because of his Congress blood that makes him inadvertently impudent, and 3. Because he became an easy punching bag for the TRS and the Congress as well.

Now that Amit Shah and Modi - who had evinced interest in showing up overtly or covertly (like the official visit to vaccine manufacturing units during GHMC elections) to cash in on every political opportunity — chose to stay away (not without a reason), the BJP leaders are caught in doubt about the prospect of winning chances of Rajgopal Reddy.

What amplified this fear is the amount of focus by the TRS by deploying every MLA as an incharge of every village in Munugode Assembly Constituency.

Over time, who has hidden their guilt behind their bravado or behind sheepish smiles would be known to their conscience, if not the public.

The statements by BJP leader and former minister D K Aruna who sought to know as to who would have so much money to give Rs.100 crore to every MLA and incoherent utterances by Union Minister Kishan Reddy and Nizamabad MP Arvind Dharmapuri surely exposed the fact that KCR had indeed upset the "orange cart" of Bandi Sanjay.

Let's wait for the next episode in the 'dragnetTflicks'.