Cash-for-vote case rocks Andhra Pradesh assembly

The cash-for-vote scam rocked the Andhra Pradesh assembly on Friday with the main opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) insisting on a debate on the issue, leading to repeated adjournments of the house.

Speaker K. Sivaprasada Rao had to adjourn the house twice as YSRCP member raised slogans to press their demand for a debate on the issue.

As soon as the house met for the day, the speaker announced that he was rejecting the notice for an adjournment motion moved by the YSRCP. He advised the opposition to raise the issue in some other form but the YSRCP members stalled the proceedings by rushing to the speaker's podium.

Government Chief Whip K. Srinivasulu said the issue was not related to Andhra Pradesh and alleged that the opposition was wasting the time of the house by trying to raise it.

Ministers R. Krishore Babu, Atchan Naidu, Palle Raghunath Reddy and other Telugu Desam Party (TDP) members said the case was a political conspiracy. They alleged that YSRCP and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had colluded to implicate TDP leaders in false case.

The ministers said YSRCP chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, who himself is facing many corruption cases, had no moral right to speak about Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Amid pandemonium, the speaker adjourned the house for 10 minutes. When the house re-assembled, he allowed Jaganmohan Reddy to speak.

The leader of opposition wanted to know from Chandrababu Naidu if the voice in the audio tape (of Naidu's alleged telephonic conversation with Telangana's nominated lawmaker) is his voice. He also wanted to know if the chief minster did not send TDP leader Revanth Reddy to bribe nominated lawmaker Elvis Stephenson.

"They have been caught red-handed with cash while giving bribe but trying to project it as an inter-state dispute. Their argument is that it is alright to give bribe but it is not correct to catch us," said Jagan.

The YSRCP president pointed out that Naidu's name figures 22 times in the charge sheet and that there are also forensic reports about the audio tape.

The TDP members countered Jagan by alleging that he has entered into a conspiracy with TRS to harm the interests of Andhra Pradesh.

The opposition members again rushed to the speaker's podium, leading to another adjournment.