Tag: YSRCP

Delhi excise policy ‘scam’ conspiracy by big leaders of AAP, Kavitha, YSRCP MP: ED charge sheet

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New Delhi: The alleged Delhi excise policy scam was a “conspiracy” by some of the big political leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the ‘South group’ comprising BRS leader K Kavitha, YSR Congress MP M Srinivasulu Reddy and others who “used” proxies to conceal their involvement, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has claimed in its latest charge sheet filed in the case.
A local court took cognisance of this prosecution complaint, filed by the ED on April 27.
“The scam included conspiracy hatched by government functionaries and political leadership cutting across states and payment of bribes to get undue favours,” the federal agency said.

“The main arm of the entire Delhi liquor scam rests on the conspiracy orchestrated by the top leaders of AAP through Vijay Nair on one hand and the South Group which consisted of Raghav Magunta, Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, Sarath Reddy and K Kavitha on the other hand.”
Raghav is YSRCP Ongole MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy’s son.
“They (South group) were represented by Arun Pillai, Abhishek Boinpally and Buchi Babu,” the agency alleged.
In this conspiracy, it added, some of the big political leaders of various political parties have been found to be involved by using “proxies, dummies and web of exchanges/transactions to conceal their involvement”.
“On one hand it is Manish Sisodia (AAP leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister) and other top leaders of AAP and Vijay Nair who was working under the overall guidance and sanction of Manish Sisodia,” the ED said.

The agency has arrested a dozen people in this case till now including Sisodia, Nair (AAP communication in-charge), Raghav Magunta, and businessmen Reddy, Pillai and Boinpally. It has questioned and recorded the statement of Kavitha and Buchi Babu, alleged to be her accountant.
The agency has furnished a statement of Buchi Babu, recorded under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on March 28, in which he said that he bought a property from Srihari of Phoenix Group in the name of Engrowth Capital.
“D R Anilkumar, husband of Kavitha, was also a partner in this firm (Engrowth Capital). This firm has bought this land at a much-discounted rate from the market because K Kavitha is a big politician in Telangana.
“Similarly, K Kavitha has bought another property of 25,000 sqft from Srihari and Buchi Babu coordinated this paperwork on the directions of K Kavitha,” he told the ED.
“The market value of this property was Rs 1,760 per sqft while she only paid RS 1,260 per sqft. This was done by Srihari for K Kavitha because she is a big politician,” the ED quoted his statement.
Kavitha, the MLC daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, has denied any wrongdoing. The AAP too has called these charges politically motivated.
The ED also appended the statement of Arun Pillai, who is alleged to be the representative of Kavitha in the ‘South Group’, where he said that “in exchange of the kickbacks paid by K Kavitha to the AAP leaders, she got partnership stakes in Indo Spirits (an accused company in this case with its promoter being Sameer Mahandru)…”.
“The amount of kickbacks paid was Rs 100 crore for this deal,” Pillai told the ED.
“The excise policy scam has multiple branches which involved numerous business entities, persons, groups, key government functionaries and a number of middlemen.
“The scam included conspiracy hatched by government functionaries and political leadership cutting across states and payment of bribes to get undue favours.”
“The scam initiated with the drafting of the excise policy of 2021-22 by the AAP leaders, specifically by Manish Sisodia with an objective of generating illegal funds followed by a nexus/understanding between key players of the South Group and Manish Sisodia and thereafter managed by Vijay Nair, who is a representative of AAP, payment of advance kickbacks from the former to the latter in exchange of undue favours,” the ED said.
This was followed by the usage of seemingly simple business entities for the ulterior motive of recouping and recovering the kickbacks paid, it said.
Another aspect, it claimed in the charge sheet, of the scam involved various entities involved in a conspiracy to form cartels to increase their profits illegally and in violation of the principles/objectives of the Excise policy 2021-22.
It is alleged that the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP.
The policy was subsequently scrapped and the Delhi lieutenant governor recommended a CBI probe, following which the ED registered the case under the PMLA.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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#Delhi #excise #policy #scam #conspiracy #big #leaders #AAP #Kavitha #YSRCP #charge #sheet
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 2, 2023
Srinivasa Reddy to resign as YSRCP regional coordinator

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Amaravati: Senior leader of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and former minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy has decided to quit as the regional coordinator of the party.
Srinivasa Reddy, who was serving as the YSRCP coordinator for Chittoor, Nellore and Tirupati, sent his resignation to the party office.
He was reportedly unhappy ever since he was dropped from the cabinet last year. The senior leader also suspected that some leaders within the party were working against him.

Balineni Srinivasa Reddy is a key leader from Prakasam district and is a relative of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
He was unhappy after Jagan Mohan Reddy dropped him from the cabinet last year and was reported to be even planning to quit as MLA.
Srinivasa Reddy, who had served as a minister in the cabinet of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in the undivided Andhra Pradesh, was angry over Jagan Reddy dropping him while retaining many others who are junior to him. He was miffed over Jagan retaining Adimulapu Suresh, who also hails from the same district, in the cabinet.
The chief minister, however, had pacified him and appointed him the regional coordinator of the party.
However, Srinivasa Reddy was unhappy over not getting due respect in the party. He was also not sure of getting a party ticket in the 2024 elections. He had expressed the fear that a woman might be given the MLA ticket from Ongole in the next elections.

On April 12, Srinivasa Reddy had taken strong objection to security personnel not allowing him to reach the helipad in his vehicle in Markapuram of Prakasam district when Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy was visiting the area.
Srinivasa Reddy left the place in a huff but attended the chief minister’s programme only after the latter spoke to him over phone.
When ministers and other leaders were heading towards the helipad to receive the chief minister, the security personnel stopped Srinivasa Reddy’s car and asked him to get down and walk to the helipad. Taken aback by this, the senior leader pulled up police officials. Angry over the behaviour of police, he returned from there in his vehicle even as Suresh, district SP and other leaders tried to pacify him.
Meanwhile, minister Kakani Goverdhan Reddy described Srinivasa Reddy’s issue as a storm in teacup. He claimed that the former minister is getting due respect in the party.
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#Srinivasa #Reddy #resign #YSRCP #regional #coordinator
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 30, 2023
Over 1cr families participate in YSRCP survey in Andhra Pradesh

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Amaravati: Over one crore families in Andhra Pradesh participated in the survey undertaken by the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) during the last 15 days.
Two weeks after launching a one of its kind mega people’s survey named Jagananne Maa Bhavishyathu (Jagan Anna is our future), the YSRCP on Monday released an interim report. It claimed to have received a positive response on ground.
The party held several press conferences across various assembly constituencies to celebrate a significant milestone.

Vijayawada West MLA Vellampalli Srinivas said that the results of the mega survey reflect the public’s opinion and they are nothing but extraordinary.
“In just the first 15 days, one crore families participated in the survey and over 79 lakh missed calls have been received in support of CM Jagananna’s government,” he said.
Elaborating on the objective of the campaign, Macherla MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy said that YSRCP’s aim was to survey 100 per household in the state (all 1.65 crore families in the state).
The party leaders invited all to visit any village secretariat and see the response for themselves.
“CM Jagan is a credible leader who has ushered in the era of welfare. The recent exit poll results of a national TV channel which predicted an overwhelming majority for YSRCP in the upcoming polls is proof of that,” said Assembly Speaker Tammineni Sitaram.

Hitting out at the Opposition, Kamalapuram MLA Ravindranath Reddy said that the Opposition is having sleepless nights because of the positive feedback that the Jagananne Maa Bhavishyathu is getting on ground, especially in Assembly constituencies that are traditionally considered to be Opposition strongholds.
YSRCP plans to reveal the final results of the mega survey on April 29.
The party on April 7 launched the survey, in a massive exercise to reach out to five crore people ahead of next year’s elections.
About 7 lakh grassroots workers will reach out to all 1.65 crore households in the state, covering five crore population.
This is claimed to be the most expensive and on-ground campaign done by any political party in the country.
The visiting party workers are explaining to the people about a comparison between YSRCP and TDP governments by showing a pamphlet.
The workers are carrying Praja Maddathu Pusthakam or survey questionnaire for feedback. People are being asked five questions including the question whether they trust Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for their future.
At the end of the survey, the party workers would request the public to give a missed call to the party dedicated mobile number 8296082960.
As soon as they give a missed call, a voice call of Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy would be received by the caller, as a token of thanks.
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#1cr #families #participate #YSRCP #survey #Andhra #Pradesh
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 24, 2023
Viveka murder case: Andhra CM holds meeting with YSRCP leaders

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Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday held an emergency meeting with some key leaders of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) to discuss the situation arising out of developments in his uncle Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy’s murder case.
With the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arresting Y.S. Bhaskar Reddy in the four-year-old murder case and summoning his son and Kadapa MP, Y.S. Avinash Reddy, for questioning on Monday, Jagan Mohan Reddy called a meeting to discuss the situation and its likely fallout on the family and the party.
Jagan’s maternal uncle and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) chairman Y. V. Subba Reddy, YSRCP general secretary and government advisor on political affairs Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy and others attended the meeting held at Jagan’s official residence./

The chief minister on Monday cancelled his visit to Anantapur district in view of Sunday’s developments in the murder case.
MLA Bhaskar Reddy, who was with Avinash Reddy when the latter left for Hyderabad from Pulivendula for appearing before CBI, is believed to have briefed Jagan on the talks he had with the Kadapa MP.
Avinash Reddy anticipates arrest in the case and he has approached Telangana High Court for the anticipatory bail.
The MP, who is a cousin of Jagan Mohan Reddy, had on Sunday found fault with the way the CBI was investigating the case. He alleged that the central agency was ignoring key facts in the case and treating them as accused.
Vivekananda Reddy, paternal uncle of Jagan Mohan Reddy, was murdered at his residence in Pulivendula of Kadapa district on March 15, 2019, a few days before Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

The former minister and MP was the younger brother of former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, father of Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The CBI has alleged that Y.S. Bhaskar Reddy and his son Avinash Reddy had hatched a conspiracy to kill Vivekananda Reddy as the latter was not in favour of YSRCP fielding Avinash Reddy as the party candidate for Kadapa Lok Sabha seat.
Bhaskar Reddy is a cousin of Vivekananda Reddy. He is also the maternal uncle of Y.S. Bharati, wife of Jagan Mohan Reddy.
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#Viveka #murder #case #Andhra #holds #meeting #YSRCP #leaders
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 17, 2023
Delhi liquor scam: YSRCP MP’s son tried to derail probe, ED retrieves chats

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New Delhi: Raghav Magunta, son of YSR Congress Party MP from Andhra Pradesh’s Ongole Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, recorded false statement before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam and also destroyed crucial evidence to derail the probe, the ED has claimed in the charge sheet, a source said.
Magunta was placed under arrest on February 10 this year by the ED.
He was grilled at length and later the ED filed a second supplementary charge sheet naming him as one of the accused.

The ED has claimed that Magunta recorded a fake statement under section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The statement pertaining to his control of Magunta Agro Farms and Pixie Enterprises.
“It was a fictitious account which he told us. We learnt it during the course of investigation. We seized his phone, but he had deleted the entire data. It was crucial evidence which he destroyed. His intention was to derail the investigation,” said the source.
Later, the ED retrieved his chats with Buchi Babu from Babu’s cell phone. The ED source said that Magunta’s chats were intact in the phone of Buchi Babu while in his own cell phone there was no data, which proved that crucial evidence was deliberately destroyed. It was a crucial chat which the ED needed to prove the duo’s guilt.
“Magunta has changed his mobile phone multiple times during the period of commission of the predicate offence and later on. Most importantly the phone containing the data of the relevant period of scam has not been found,” the ED has claimed

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#Delhi #liquor #scam #YSRCP #MPs #son #derail #probe #retrieves #chats
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 12, 2023
Cross-voting shock to YSRCP as TDP wins Council seat

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Amaravati: In a shock to Andhra Pradesh’s ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) bagged a seat of Legislative Council from MLA quota in the elections held on Thursday.
TDP’s lone candidate Panchumarthi Anuradha won the election by securing 23 votes, one more than the required number.
YSRCP won six seats but its seventh candidate Jayamangala Venkataramna suffered shock defeat.
With the cross-voting of two rebel MLAs of YSRCP, the TDP secured two more votes from the ruling party.
All 175 members of the Assembly cast their votes and the counting was taken up in the evening.
YSRCP’s V.V. Surya Narayana Raju, Pothula Sunitha, Bommi Israel, Chandragiri Yesuratnam and Marri Rajasekhar were elected as they secured 22 votes each. The other two candidates Kola Guruvulu and Jayamangala Venkataramna were polled 21 votes each but Kola Guruvulu was declared elected on the basis of second preference votes.
The result came as a big setback to Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP, which was confident of a clean sweep.
In the 175-member Assembly, YSRCP has 151 members and it was confident of securing votes of four rebel MLAs of TDP and the lone MLA of Jana Sena Party (JSP).

TDP, which had 23 seats in the Assembly, was left with 19 members as four others had switched sides to YSRCP.
Both the parties had issued whips to their members. YSRCP had taken all precautions by giving clear instructions to the MLAs about the candidates they have to vote for. The ruling party swiftly began an exercise to identify the black sheep.
The win has given TDP a big moral victory. It comes close on the heels of winning three graduates’ constituencies in the recently held Council elections.
When the voting began on Thursday morning, TDP leader Nimmala Kistappa claimed that 16 MLAs of YSRCP are in touch with them. The ruling party, however, dismissed the claim as a mind game being played by the opposition.
Celebrations broke out in the TDP camp after Thursday’s win. Large number of TDP leaders gathered at party president and former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s residence.
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#Crossvoting #shock #YSRCP #TDP #wins #Council #seat
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 23, 2023
YSRCP will not come back to power: TDP chief

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Amaravati: The results in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council elections clearly indicate that YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) will not come to power again, former chief minister and TDP president, N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday.
Thanking the voters for the victory of TDP in all three graduates’ constituencies, Naidu told mediapersons here that the results clearly indicate the anti-incumbency. Terming it as a people’s victory, the TDP supremo said that by electing the TDP candidates people have reposed complete faith and confidence in the party.
Observing that the people have predicted the future of the state a couple of days before the Ugadi, Chandrababu Naidu said that the election results reflect the inconceivable pain of government employees, sufferings of farmers, underprivileged, common man and students who are over-burdened with rising prices.
The agony of an average person living in fear under an anarchic regime is completely reflected in these election results, the former chief minister felt.
“Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy always believes in money and muscle power and in indulging in atrocities. He transformed all the elections in these four years only as selections,” Chandrababu Naidu said, adding the YSRCP will soon disappear into oblivion.
Terming the latest polls as a “war between Jagan Reddy and the 5 crore people of the state”, the TDP supremo said that the destruction that he caused to the state and the large-scale corruption will certainly teach him a fitting lesson.
Chandrababu felt that the YSRCP will not be in power again and expressed concern that even senior IAS and IPS officers too are becoming partners in the crimes being committed by Jagan Reddy.
Though the courts have pulled up this government several times, the ruling party leaders have not learnt any lessons, he remarked.

He slammed the YSRCP government for imposing restrictions on the opposition. He said that democracy has certain checks and balances and the ruling party should follow them religiously to win the people’s confidence.
He expressed surprise that even the directions of the Election Commission are not being honoured and felt that the bureaucrats are resorting to atrocities only to win the confidence of Jagan.
He wondered how officials refuse to hand over the declaration forms to the candidates who won the polls. The TDP leader felt that the bureaucrats should be partners in progress but not partners in committing crime.
Naidu said that Ram Gopal Reddy, who was declared elected in the polls, was illegally arrested.
The graduates constituencies polls covered 108 Assembly segments and 5,000 to 25,000 voters cast their ballot in each segment, the former chief minister said and stated that money, silver articles and other materials were distributed to the voters everywhere.
Even voters were enrolled with fake graduate certificates, he said and observed that despite all such atrocities the voters reposed confidence only in the TDP.
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#YSRCP #power #TDP #chief
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 19, 2023
Jolt to Andhra’s ruling YSRCP as TDP bags three MLC seats

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Amaravati: In a big jolt to Andhra Pradesh’s ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) won all three Legislative Council seats from graduates’ constituencies which went to polls on March 13.
The main opposition party received a big boost with victories in north Andhra, east Rayalaseema, and west Rayalaseema graduates’ constituencies.
In a neck-and-neck contest, the TDP bagged West Rayalaseema (Kadapa-Anantapur-Kurnool districts), which is considered a stronghold of the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP. TDP candidate Bhumireddy Ramagopal Reddy defeated his nearest rival V. Ravindra Reddy of YSRCP by 7,543-second preference votes.
No candidate secured a majority in first preference votes but in the elimination round, there was a close contest between the TDP and the YSRCP. The opposition party candidate surged ahead in the elimination round to win the seat.
పట్టభద్రుల ఎమ్మెల్సీ ఎన్నికల్లో గెలిచిన ముగ్గురు అభ్యర్ధులకు అభినందనలు. గెలిపించిన ప్రజలకు ధన్యవాదాలు. ఎన్నికల్లో వైసీపీ అక్రమాలను ఎదిరించి నిలబడిన కార్యకర్తలకు, నాయకులకు సెల్యూట్. ఇది ప్రజా విజయం. మార్పుకు సంకేతం. మంచికి మార్గం. రాష్ట్రానికి శుభసూచకం.#ByeByeJaganIn2024 pic.twitter.com/siiKPixjz1
— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) March 18, 2023
Returning officer S. Nagalakshmi announced that TDP’s Ramgopal Reddy polled 1,09,781 votes while YSRCP’s Ravindra Reddy secured 1,02,238 votes.
The counting of votes which began at 8 a.m. on Thursday was completed around 8 p.m. on Saturday.
Alleging that there were irregularities in the counting of votes, the YSRCP candidate and other leaders demanded re-counting. The returning officer told them to give in writing if they have any objections.
Earlier, the TDP won North Andhra and East Rayalaseema seats. TDP candidate Vepada Chiranjeevi Rao won North Andhra (Srikakulam-Vizianagaram-Visakhapatnam) seat by a margin of 34,836 votes over the YSRCP candidate.

TDP’s Kancharla Srikanth Chowdhary was elected from East Rayalaseema (Prakasam-Nellore-Chittoor) with a margin of 34,110 votes over the YSRCP candidate.
The defeat in all three graduates’ constituencies is being seen as a major setback for the ruling party as they were spread in 108 of the total 175 Assembly segments.
This was also the first big defeat for the YSRCP, which had swept all the elections since 2019.
In the MLC polls, the YSRCP won both teachers’ constituencies (East Rayalaseema and West Rayalaseema) and four local body segments.
Meanwhile, TDP President and former Chief Minister T. Chandrababu Naidu described the victory of his party in three graduates’ constituencies a public victory. “A sign of change. The way to good. Auspicious for the state,” Naidu tweeted.
“Congratulations to the three candidates who won the MLC elections. Thanks to the people who won. Salute to the activists and leaders who stood against YCP irregularities in the elections,” added Naidu with hashtag #ByeByeJaganIn2024.

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#Jolt #Andhras #ruling #YSRCP #TDP #bags #MLC #seats
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 18, 2023
“Youths, worst hit during YSRCP rule…” TDP national general secy Nara Lokesh

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Annamayya: Launching a scathing attack on the ruling party, the national general secretary of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Nara Lokesh on Thursday said that it is the youths, who suffered a lot after YSRCP came to power.
During his ongoing pada yatra, Yuva Galam, Lokesh interacted with the youths at the Vijaya Ganapathy Function Hall at Maddaiah Garipalli of Thamballapalle Assembly segment.
“During the regime of Chandrababu Naidu, Andhra Pradesh was known to be the capital of jobs in India but now it is known as Ganja capital of India,” Lokesh said.
The TDP leader also assured the youths that jobs will be announced every year once his party is voted to power in the State.
Lokesh asked the youths to strive to bring the TDP back into government again.
Earlier the youths of the State complained to Lokesh that there is no government degree college nearby for them and the unemployment allowance that was paid during the TDP regime is discontinued now.
They also complained to Lokesh that there are no self-employment opportunities in the State now.
The youths asked the TDP leader to brief them on what steps his party will take if it comes back to power to rid the State of drugs.

Earlier in the day, at the Indiramma Colony campsite, Lokesh paid rich tributes to Potti Sriramulu on the occasion of his birth anniversary.The leaders of the Buduga Janga Welfare Association met Lokesh at the same campsite and apprised him of the problems, they have been facing for the past four years.
Promising all possible measures for their welfare, Lokesh called upon the Buduga Janga leaders to work hard to bring his father and former State’s CM, Chandrababu back as the chief minister.
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#Youths #worst #hit #YSRCP #rule #TDP #national #general #secy #Nara #Lokesh
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 16, 2023
Viveka murder probe sparks war of words between YSRCP, TDP

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Amaravati: As the CBI investigates the murder of former Andhra Pradesh minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, paternal uncle of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, appears to be reaching climax, a war of words has broken out between the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
With the CBI pointing fingers at Jagan Mohan Reddy’s cousin and Kadapa MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy and the latter’s father Y.S. Bhaskar Reddy, the TDP is looking to corner the ruling party and even blaming the chief minister himself.
That the CBI’s recent startling revelations have rattled the YSRCP was evident when its leaders alleged that the TDP president and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu were influencing the CBI probe.
The recent developments in the four year old sensational case, which has all the trappings of a crime thriller, are likely to have an impact on the course of state politics at a time when the parties are gearing up for next year’s elections.
Claiming that lower-rung officials of the CBI are taking the investigations into a particular direction, the YSRCP leaders are pointing fingers at Chandrababu Naidu, who was the chief minister when Viveka was murdered.
Vivekananda Reddy was the younger brother of former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, father of Jagan Mohan Reddy.
He was found murdered mysteriously at his residence at Pulivendula in Kadapa district on March 15, 2019, a month ahead of the 2019 general elections.
The 68-year-old former state minister and former MP was alone at his house when unidentified persons barged in and killed him. He was killed hours before he was to launch YSR Congress Party’s election campaign in Kadapa.

Though three Special Investigation Teams (SITs) conducted the probe they failed to solve the mystery.
The CBI took over the investigation into the case in 2020 on the direction of Andhra Pradesh High Court while hearing a petition of Vivekananda Reddy’s daughter Sunitha Reddy, who raised suspicion about some relatives.
The CBI filed a charge sheet in the murder case on October 26, 2021 and followed it up with a supplementary charge sheet on January 31, 2022
In November last year, the Supreme Court transferred to a CBI court in Hyderabad the trial and probe into the larger conspiracy behind the murder. The apex court observed that doubts raised by Sunitha Reddy about getting a fair trial and investigation in Andhra Pradesh were reasonable.
Stepping up the pace of investigation, the CBI on January 28 questioned Avinash Reddy for more than four-and-a-half hours. The Lok Sabha member from Kadapa was questioned by the agency for the second time on February 24.
Avinash Reddy made the second appearance two days after the CBI made startling revelations in the case.
While opposing the bail petition of one of the accused Sunil Yadav, the CBI stated in its counter filed in Telangana High Court on February 22 that Avinash Reddy, his father Y.S. Bhaskar Reddy and their follower D.Siva Sankar Reddy had hatched a criminal conspiracy to kill Vivekananda Reddy due to the grouse they had over conflicting political ambitions.
The CBI submitted to the court that the trio used other accused Yerra Gangi Reddy, Sunil Yadav, Dastagiri and others who worked for Vivekananda Reddy to execute the murder plot.
The investigating agency stated in its counter that Vivekananda Reddy was not happy with his brother Bhaskar Reddy and nephew Avinash Reddy as they had sabotaged his chances in the MLC election in 2017 in Kadapa. Avinash and his father wanted Siva Sankar as MLC candidate but when Jagan Mohan Reddy fielded Vivekananda, the trio ensured he was defeated.
To settle scores, Viveka opposed the proposal of fielding Avinash as the YSRCP candidate from Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency. The former minister wanted Jagan Mohan Reddy’s sister Y.S. Sharmila or mother Y.S. Vijayamma be fielded.
The CBI claimed that Rs 40 crore was offered to the other accused to carry out the murder.
On February 3, the CBI questioned Krishna Mohan Reddy, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) for the chief minister. It also quizzed Naveen, who works in the house of the chief minister.
They were reportedly questioned about the sequence of events on the day when Vivekananda Reddy was murdered. They collected information about phone calls made or received by them on the day.
This prompted TDP to step up attack on Jagan Mohan Reddy and the opposition party started pointing fingers at him.
After Avinash Reddy appeared before the CBI, YSRCP general secretary government advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy alleged that the CBI probe into Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy murder case is progressing as per the TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu’s directions.
He also raised suspicion that Naidu is influencing the probe agency through his aides in the BJP. He alleged that the CBI is deliberately taking the probe into a particular direction to target a few people.
Giving a clean chit to Avinash Reddy, Sajjala said the Kadapa MP had no role behind the murder. “There is no evidence to point to Avinash Reddy’s role,” he said and added that the murder had been committed as per Chandrababu Naidu’s screenplay and direction.
Sajjala recalled that the murder took place when Naidu was the chief minister. He called it a conspiracy hatched by the TDP chief to demoralize Jagan Mohan Reddy ahead of the 2019 elections. He claimed that Viveka’s murder was a big loss for Jagan at personal level and YSRCP as a whole.
He alleged that TDP leaders Adinarayana Reddy, B Tech Ravi had close links with the criminals. He said that CBI had not interrogated B Tech Ravi, Adinarayana Reddy and brother-in-law of Vivekananda Reddy, Sivaprakash Reddy who first called Avinash to inform about the death.
Sivaprakash Reddy told Avinash that Viveka died of cardiac arrest. Sajjala dared the CBI to probe why the call records of Viveka were not retrieved to bring more facts to light. He also wanted to know as to why CBI did not seize the mobile phones of Adinrayana Reddy and Viveka’s son-in-law Rajasekhara Reddy.
The TDP is making every effort to politically capitalize on the recent developments. “The question everybody was asking in the state was who killed babai (uncle). Now they have got an answer. Abbai (nephew) killed Babai,” says Chandrababu Naidu.
He also claimed that Google Takeout helped in solving the puzzle who killed babai. Naidu claimed that the technology revealed the location of every suspect on the day of the murder.
The chronology of events and phone numbers of the people allegedly involved in the murder have been traced.
Naidu alleged that Jagan’s main aim then was to gain sympathy from the murder. He said that as then chief minister, he too was made to believe that Viveka died of a heart attack.
He was all praise for Viveka’s daughter Sunitha for her lone battle to expose the plot.
He slammed Sajjala for finding fault with the CBI’s findings even as the investigation is in progress
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 26, 2023