YSRCP MLA Roja on Thursday accused Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu of 'hiding like a thief', ever since the controversial cash-for-votes case that rocked the Telugu states in 2015, resurfaced earlier this week.
"The same Chandrababu Naidu who spoke so confidently earlier, has left the Andhra capital and is hiding like a thief. The same people who said that there was no 'case' itself, are now accusing the BJP and YSRCP chief Jaganmohan Reddy of colluding against the state," Roja told reporters.
"When Naidu was caught, didn't he ally with the NDA government? The CM is ready to touch the feet of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and is staying silent as the neighbouring state continues exploiting our silence. Naidu is not even speaking about what is rightfully ours under the Bifurcation Act," the Nagari legislator claimed.
She also alleged that Naidu had an understanding with BJP and KCR that the state's interests could take a back seat, as long as "he was not affected by the scam."
Stating that the Andhra CM had been caught red-handed in the case, she demanded that Naidu should be arrested.
Roja's comments didn't go down too well with TDP leaders, with Minister Adinarayana Reddy asking the MLA to stop doing 'Jabardasth' politics, taking a dig at the TV show that the actor-politician was a part of.
"Politics is not about song and dance. It is serious business," Reddy said.
Earlier this week, KCR's decision to hold a review meet on the case sparked off massive political speculation as politicians from every party began holding press meets and speaking about the case.
The case
Telangana legislator A Revanth Reddy was caught red-handed by the ACB on May 31, 2015, when he was offering Rs 50 lakh to Independent MLA Stephenson to make him vote for the TDP-BJP candidate in the elections to the Telangana legislative council.
ACB, which had laid a trap on a complaint by Stephenson, also arrested Revanth Reddy's aides. TRS leaders have been alleging that Naidu is the mastermind in the scam and he should be booked.
The ACB had earlier said that there were 516 telephone conversation records in the phone of Sebastian, one of the aides arrested, of which 102 are related to the cash-for-vote case.
However, the most important phone call was one alleged to be between Elvis Stephenson and Chandrababu Naidu.
The audio tape was first played by T News, a Telugu news channel owned by the ruling TRS party and was later picked up by others.
During the conversation, Naidu purportedly assured the nominated member that he is with him. "Our people briefed me. I am with you don't bother. For everything I am with you. What all they spoke, we will honour," Naidu was heard telling the legislator.
In November 2016, an ACB court ordered that Naidu's reported role in the case be probed, following which the chief minister's advocates challenged the order in the Hyderabad High Court.
In December, the HC set aside the order of the ACB court, following which a YSRCP MLA moved the Supreme Court.
In March 2017, the apex court served a notice to Naidu, seeking his response to YSRC MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy’s petition. It also directed the Telangana government to file a counter.
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