A tale of Telangana self-respect and Hindu sentiment: TRS, BJP blame game starts

Bid to buy TRS MLAs triggers another round of one-upmanship between TRS and BJP

Less than 10 days ahead of byelection to Munugode Assembly constituency, an interesting political drama unfolded on the city outskirts with police claiming to have foiled a bid by three persons, including two godmen, to lure ruling TRS MLAs by offering them huge money.

The bitter Munugode bypoll campaign spilled over to the Twin Cities with the latest high-voltage ‘drama’ termed as ‘attack on the self-respect of Telangana” by the TRS and BJP calling it an insult to the Hindu sentiment by bringing in godmen into the shady political one-upmanship.

The action packed developments at a farm house in Aziznagar involving TRS MLAs — Guvvala Balaraju (Achampet), Rega Kantha Rao (Pinapaka), Beeram Harshavardhan Reddy (Kollapur) and Panjugula Rohit Reddy (Tandur) — was straight out of a similar scene of ‘Cash for Vote’ scandal that rocked the State a few years ago and left the TDP leadership and then MLA A. Revanth Reddy when he was caught on camera giving cash to ‘buy’ a nominated MLC in the Council elections. The latest bid by two godmen and another city-based person allegedly involved promise of ₹ 100 crore each and contracts if the four MLAs quit the TRS.

This drama led to a political slugfest and blame game between the TRS and the BJP leadership. The TRS leaders were quick to blame the BJP for ‘dirty politics’ of money and raked in the Telangana sentiment. “Telangana people and leaders are not ready to be purchased. Money cannot buy Telangana self-respect” was the refrain from the TRS leaders, who went all out trying to corner the BJP leadership. They appealed to the people to see through the political gamble being played out by the saffron party.

Initially stunned by the developments and caught off guard, the BJP leadership regained its composure to launch what it felt was a humiliation and hurting the Hindu sentiment by showing godmen indulging in horse trading. “What will the BJP gain by buying four TRS legislators? Will the act of luring these MLA impact the Munugode bypoll outcome?” questioned former BJP MLC N. Ramachander Rao. “With one year to go for Assembly elections, why will the BJP buy the MLAs. Instead, we could have spent the same amount in Munugode to win the elections,” another senior BJP leader remarked.

However, sources said the recent assertion of BJP MLA from Dubbak Raghunandan Rao that the TRS MLAs from at aleast four districts were in touch with the BJP leadership was the giveaway. This hint was enough for the TRS leadership to get its act together and fix the godmen and the businessman.

TPCC Chief A. Revanth Reddy also tweeted with the video clip of the BJP MLA, sarcastically questioning whether the latter jumped the gun and leaking the saffron party’s plan to strike a blow to the ruling party.