Disqualify Etala, demands BRS MLC

Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS)  MLC Padi Kaushik Reddy on Wednesday demanded the Election Commission of India disqualify BJP Huzurabad MLA Etala Rajender for claiming that he spent crores of rupees to fight and win Huzurnagar by-elections held in October.

Speaking to the media in Jammikunta, Kaushik said Etala himself openly admitted that he spent hundreds of crores to win the Huzurabad by-poll and that he took a Rs 60 crore loan from BJP leader Vivek Venkataswamy.

“As per ECI norms, the maximum expenditure limit for candidates for Assembly election is Rs 40 lakh. How can Etala openly claim that he spent hundreds of crores of rupees to win a by-poll? How can he openly say that he took a Rs 60 crore loan from Vivek Venkataswamy? How did they mobilise crores of rupees? I demand ECI disqualify Etala. I also demand a probe by I-T and ED to detect from where Etala and Vivek mobilised crores of rupees,” Kaushik said.

He lashed out at Etala Rajender for not visiting his constituency to extend the benefits of welfare schemes to people being implemented by the BRS government.

“We are following protocol by putting pictures of Etala on the flexies in the programmes organised for the distribution of benefits of various welfare schemes in Huzurabad. But Etala is avoiding the constituency and not taking part in these programmes as he fears that it would benefit BRS politically,” Kaushik Reddy stated.