He quit the Congress in August to join the BJP (File)

Hyderabad:

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi or TRS has sought disqualification of the BJP candidate for the upcoming Munugode bypoll, Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, alleging that he switched over to the party after getting a coal mining contract worth Rs 18,000 crore. 

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao-led TRS has alleged that Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, who was the sitting Congress MLA from Munugode, joined the BJP after his family-owned company got a Rs 18,000 crore contract from the central government.

Mr Reddy quit the Congress in August to join the BJP, necessitating the November 3 bypoll.

A party delegation called on Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj yesterday and submitted a representation, demanding Mr Reddy’s disqualification.

In a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer, TRS legislators said Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy had admitted during a TV interview that he received the contract when he was with the Congress, therefore he should be disqualified. 

In a recent TV interview, Rajagopal Reddy said that he had expressed his intent to join the BJP three years ago, but he got the contract recently. He said his political decision to join the BJP had nothing to do with his business.

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.”

Quid pro Quo – open confession of the BJP MLA candidate from Munugodu 👇

His company gets a massive ₹18,000 Cr contract from & in return he joins BJP

Likely that his brother Congress MP might follow in his footsteps https://t.co/SPd28aegyp

— KTR (@KTRTRS) October 7, 2022

KTR alleged Rajagopal Reddy had been chosen as the BJP candidate to fight the Munugode bypoll, after he promised to spend Rs 500 crore on the election.

Rajagopal Reddy has threatened to file a defamation case against KTR for making “baseless allegations” against him.

In a tweet, Rajagopal Reddy said, “It’s time to call spade a spade. I openly challenge Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao. I am giving you 24 hrs time. Either you prove the allegation levelled against me about the quid-pro-quo nexus or be ready to face defamation.”

Its time to call spade a spade.

I openly challenge Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao. Mr.@KTRTRS

I am giving you 24 hrs time.

Either you prove the allegation levelled against me about the quid-pro-quo nexus or be ready to face defamation. pic.twitter.com/OQFlrE0SHa

— Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy (@krg_reddy) October 8, 2022

The chairman of the BJP’s Munugode campaign committee, G Vivek Venkataswamy, also said that there was nothing illegal about the contract awarded to 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 recent controversy come days after Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, aspiring for a national role ahead of the 2024 election, launched the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), a new version of his party. 

Taking a wipe at the Chief Minister, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said KCR was being guided by “tantriks” or occultists. She alleged he stopped going to the state Secretariat and changed the name of his party on 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.