Chandrababu Naidu mastermind behind cash-for-vote scam: TRS

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on Tuesday alleged that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is the mastermind behind cash-for-vote scam in Telangana.

Telanagana Irrigation Minister Harish Rao said Telugu Desam Party legislator A. Revanth Reddy executed the plan but Naidu, who is also the party chief, is the mastermind.

Reddy and his two aides were arrested by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Sunday while he was offering Rs.50 lakh to a nominated legislator to make him vote for the TDP-BJP candidate in elections to Telangana legislative council.

A city court on Tuesday sent Revanth and two others to judicial custody for 14 days.

Telangana Panchayat Raj and Information Technology Minister K. Tarakarama Rao, who is son of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, on Tuesday said the law would take its own course in the matter.

"Law has to take its own course. No one is above law whether it is Naidu or KCR (Chandrasekhar Rao). If there is enough evidence and if there is a prima facie case, there is no reason why Naidu should not be included," he said when asked if TRS would demand Naidu's name to be included as an accused in the case.

"The matter is in very preliminary stage. ACB is seized of it. They have to go deeper into it. Who is mastermind , who is behind it and who is culprit will come out," he said.

Asked if TRS would seek disqualification of Reddy as member of assembly, Tarakarama Rao said precedents have to be followed.

"We have precedents in the country. We have situations in the past where then Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee had taken a stand. There are court judgments. There are number of precedents. We have to follow them. Nobody is above law whether it is TRS or TDP," he added.

Meanwhile, a city court on Tuesday adjourned hearing on TDP legislator's bail petition till Friday.

TDP leaders from Andhra Pradesh met Reddy in Chanchalguda Central Jail.