Defection of 16 MLAs: TPCC files police case

Hyderabad: Taking serious note of the defection by 16 of his party lawmekers to the then TRS, state Congress chief A. Revanth Reddy on Friday approached the Moinabad police on the matter said that they would also lodge a complaint with the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate.

A TPCC team, led by Revanth Reddy, visited Moinabad police station and expressed displeasure that senior officers were not around to accept their complaint.

In the complaint, the TPCC president charged that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao had influenced 12 MLAs and four MLCs from Congress to join the ruling party.

"KCR offered them huge bribes and assurances of plum positions in government. Everyone knows that the defectors received undue benefits as a reward for making the switch," Revanth Reddy said.

He mentioned the names of Haripriya Banoth, Patlolla Sabita Indra Reddy, Kandala Upender Reddy, Devi Reddy Sudheer Reddy, Rega Kantha Rao, Athram Sakku, Chirumarthi Lingaiah, Vanama Venkateswara Rao, Beeram Harshavardhan Reddy, Jajala Surender, Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy and P. Rohith Reddy.

"Some of the MLAs were accommodated in the Cabinet while the others received monetary benefits. Of the 12, the BJP attempted to poach three MLAs and a case was registered. We will take the issue seriously and approach central agencies like the CBI and the ED for registering cases and to submit proper evidence to them," Reddy said.

Prior to visiting Moinabad police station, TPCC leaders met in the CLP office to discuss the issue and the future course of action in this regard.