MLA Poaching: Audio clips turn tables against BJP

Hyderabad: Strengthening the argument that the covert operation to poach legislators from the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (now Bharat Rashtra Samithi) had blessings of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s top brass, including union Home Minister Amit Shah, two audio clips surfaced on Friday. The ultimate aim of the operation, the clips reveal, was to topple the […]

Hyderabad: Strengthening the argument that the covert operation to poach legislators from the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (now Bharat Rashtra Samithi) had blessings of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s top brass, including union Home Minister Amit Shah, two audio clips surfaced on Friday. The ultimate aim of the operation, the clips reveal, was to topple the TRS government using tricks the BJP has deployed multiple times successfully in other States.

The two clips, together spanning about 42 minutes, punch holes in the BJP State unit’s claims that the BJP had nothing to do with the operation, and also indicate that the poaching attempt was made with the knowledge of the party’s top leadership. Names of Amit Shah, BJP national general secretary BL Santosh and one Tushar, whose identity is unclear but is said to have gone to Ahmedabad on the same charter flight as Shah, figure multiple times, with a person addressed as ‘Swamiji’, possibly Ramachandra Bharati who was arrested on Wednesday, also saying that a similar operation was on in Delhi, where ‘43 were ready’.

---

The first audio clip, which hit air around noon, was of a conference call involving TRS MLA Pilot Rohit Reddy and Ramachandra Bharathi along with Nanda Kumar.

The 13-minute conversation has Ramachandra Bharathi, referred to as Swamiji, apparently a mediator of the BJP top brass, insisting on the MLA joining the BJP before the Munugode bypoll.

Santosh is described by the Swami as the RSS national organising secretary, while ‘Number 1’ and ‘Number 2’ purportedly refer to Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. “In our organisation, BL Santosh is the key person. No.1, 2 themselves visit BL Santosh’s home. BL Santosh doesn’t go to the homes of No.1, No.2, this is RSS protocol,” he says.

As Swami presses Rohit Reddy for more names, the MLA is heard saying it was hard to divulge names at this stage, adding that ‘two have already confirmed’. The Swami, who says his organisation needs ‘some good leaders’ also asks the TRS MLA not to speak for long over phone. The clip also has Nanda Kumar telling Swami that ‘Sharat is very close to Rohit sir’.

“Aurobindo Pharma Sharat? That is a very complicated case, we will have to sit with them and deal it,” replies Swami.

The second clip, going on for 27 minutes, gives more clarity into the actual objectives of the covert operation, with the name of Amit Shah taken more frequently.

The Swami is heard saying in this clip that the State leadership of the BJP was being by-passed, with the ‘Centre’ directly handling the deal. Most of the discussion revolves around getting Rohit Reddy before the Munugode by-poll, with Swami saying Rs.100 crore was not a problem and that the ‘BJP was ready to invest anything’ to get sitting MLAs.

The most crucial revelation comes when the Swami talks about himself and BL Santosh discussing the matter with Amit Shah, who tells them it would not be good to go to Hyderabad if it was for ‘one or three’. “Let them come to Delhi,” is what Shah said, says the Swami, who adds that once Rohit Reddy resigns, within one month, “he” (K Chandrashekhar Rao) would dissolve the government. “It will collapse,” he says.

Assuring that he would bring ‘Tushar’ to meet Nandakumar and Rohit Reddy, before taking them to Santosh, Swami says payment is not an issue, that the Centre is completely in favour of the deal, which was they had approved the payment and that, “if this is completed, the government is gone.”

The conversation also reveals that the BJP is already pulling strings in Delhi, where “43” are ready to come. The Swami also assures Central security to those joining the party.

Meanwhile, police have sent some audio and video recordings for forensic evaluation. In case of a couple of audio tapes, the forensic expert were expected to give their report shortly, sources said.