He quit the Congress in August to join the BJP (File)
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's party TRS has demanded the disqualification of the BJP candidate for an upcoming by-election in the state over allegations that he joined the party after bagging a coal mining contract.
A by-election will be held on November 3 in Munugode to fill the vacancy caused by Congress MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy's switch to the BJP in August. The TRS or Telangana Rashtra Samithi alleges that Mr Reddy changed parties after his family-owned company won a Rs 18,000 crore coal mining contract from the central government.
A group of TRS lawmakers met with Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj yesterday and told him that Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy had admitted during a TV interview that he won the contract when he was with the Congress, and that he joined the BJP soon after.
Mr Reddy must be disqualified, Mr Rao's party said.
TRS working president KT Rama Rao or KTR on Saturday tweeted the video clip and said, "Quid pro Quo - open confession of the BJP MLA candidate from Munugode. His company gets a massive Rs. 18,000 Crore contract, and in return he joins BJP. Likely that his brother, Congress MP might follow in his footsteps."
KTR also alleged that Mr Reddy had been chosen as the BJP candidate for Munugode because he promised to spend Rs 500 crore on the election.
Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy has threatened to sue KTR for defamation and for what they say her "baseless allegations" against him.
In a tweet, Mr Reddy said, "It's time to call spade a spade. I openly challenge Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao. I am giving you 24 hours' time. Either you prove the allegation levelled against me about the quid-pro-quo nexus or be ready to face defamation."
Mr Reddy had earlier said that his decision to join the BJP was political and had nothing to do with his business.
The chairman of the BJP's Munugode campaign committee, G Vivek Venkataswamy, also said there was nothing illegal about the contract awarded to Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy's company as it was the lowest bidder for the global tender invited by the Coal India.
He alleged it was the TRS which robbed the state and awarded several high-priced coal mining contracts in the past.
The controversy has emerged days after Chief Minister KCR launched the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), a new version of his party.
Taking a swipe at the Chief Minister, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said KCR was being guided by "tantriks" or occultists. She alleged that he stopped going to the state Secretariat and changed the name of his party after their advice.
"Chief Minister KCR, on the advice of Tantriks, stopped going to the Secretariat, and did not even induct women for many years in his cabinet. After failing and betraying the people of Telangana and the Telugu language, he has now launched BRS as a national party. The new party is doomed to fail," she said.
State BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar has also made similar allegations against KCR. He said the Chief Minister has been performing "tantrik pujas" to win the upcoming elections.