Quid pro quo charge: TRS seeks Rajagopal Reddy's disqualification from Munugode contest

HYDERABAD: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on Sunday made a formal demand for the disqualification of Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy, BJP candidate for Munugode Assembly by-election. A TRS team consisting of its general secretaries Srinivas Reddy, Soma Bharat, MLA Gadari Kishore and MP Badugula Lingaiah Yadav met Telangana Chief Election Officer Vikas Raj at his residence in SR Nagar here on Sunday and handed over a representation. The team sought directions from the Election Commission of India (ECI) debarring Rajgopal Reddy from contesting the by-election.

The TRS leaders said that the BJP candidate had admitted in a video interview to indulging in a quid pro quo arrangement and that he had joined the BJP only after the Centre had awarded a Rs 18,000 crore project to his company.

Speaking on the occasion, Badugula Lingaiah Yadav said that Rajagopal Reddy had made a mockery of democracy by admitting that he sold himself out to the BJP for Rs 18,000 crore project and switched his political loyalties from the Congress to the BJP. "We have given a representation to the election officer under the Representation of People's Act to issue interim orders disqualifying Rajagopal Reddy from contesting in Munugode," he said.

Gadari Kishore, who also met the CEC, slammed Rajagopal Reddy and claimed that the latter had promised a share to Etala Rajender and Vivek. He said that Rajagopal Reddy had put self-respect under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah's feet.

The TRS leaders accused the BJP of forcing an unnecessary election on the voters of Munugode as they felt intimidated by the growing popularity of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) across the country. "People are watching the conspiracies of Rajgopal Reddy and will teach a befitting lesson to the BJP," he said.