Hyderabad: Rejected candidates allege graft

Hyderabad: Congress candidates who failed to get tickets are now alleging that corruption was involved in picking nominees for the December 7 elections. 
Congress leader Kyma Mallesh said he was asked for Rs 3 crore, while Mr Karthik Reddy alleged that the Telugu Desam had sold the ticket.

Mr Mallesh, Congress aspirant for the Ibrahimpatnam constituency, alleged that Mr Saagar, son of AICC screening committee chairman Bhakta Charan Das, has demanded Rs 3 crore for allotting the ticket. He produced audio tapes purporting to show the demand for money.

Mr Mallesh alleged that Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee leaders had collected Rs 10 crore as part the deal to field a weak candidate against TRS nominee Danam Nagendar from Khairatabad.

Speaking to mediapersons, Mr Mallesh said, “To ease the competition to former Congress leader, the TPCC leaders have fielded Dr Sravan Dasoju by taking Rs 10 Cr from Mr Nagendar. Many of the leaders have left the party after we lost the elections in 2014. We have spent our own money to save the party. The leaders who escaped then have come now to enjoy the benefits.”

A couple of days ago in Delhi, Mr Bhakta Charan Das had said that everyone knew how honest he was, and said the allegations against him were false. 
“If they are saying that they paid me the money, then the Enforcement Directorate should verify how they got the money,” he had said.