TRS working President and minister KT Rama Rao (KTR) took to Twitter to share a video clip of BJP leader Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy saying in a TV interview that his company Sushee Infra and Mining Limited (SIML) had received mining contracts worth Rs 18,000 crore from the Union Government around six months ago. KTR called it a case of quid pro quo and said that the former Congress Munugode MLA joined the BJP in exchange for the contract. KTR also claimed that it is likely that his brother Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy will also join the BJP. “Quid pro Quo - open confession of the BJP MLA candidate from Munugode. His company gets a massive ₹18,000 Cr contract from & in return he joins BJP. Likely that his brother Congress MP might follow in his footsteps,” KTR tweeted, sharing the video clip.
Following the allegation, Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, who has been declared as the BJP candidate in the Munugode bye-poll, responded saying that KTR would have to prove his allegation in 24 hours or be ready to face defamation. "It's time to call spade a spade. I openly challenge Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao. I am giving you 24 hrs time. Either you prove the allegation leveled against me about the quid-pro-quo nexus or be ready to face defamation," tweeted Rajagopal Reddy.
In the interview with TV9 Telugu, responding to a question by the anchor regarding KTR’s allegations that Reddy had joined the BJP following contracts worth Rs 22,000 crore being given to his son’s company, Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy demanded that KTR prove his allegations. He also declared that if it was proven, then he would retire from politics. He demanded that KTR should do the same if he fails to prove the allegations. He went on to state that all the works that his company followed tender procedures and won contracts.
When the anchor persisted questioning about whether Reddy’s company had received national contracts worth Rs 22.000 crore, Rajagopal Reddy said that his company had indeed won tenders for projects worth Rs 18,000 crore. He also went on to say that for the last three years he has been speaking in favour of the BJP, while the tenders were won only around 6 months ago. He said he had disassociated from the Congress and was in favour of the BJP for the last three years. He reiterated that his business contracts had no connection with his political decision to join the BJP.
Rajagopal Reddy resigned as MLA and quit the Congress. He joined the BJP at a public meeting addressed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Munugode on August 21. The by-election to the seat is scheduled to be held on November 3. Rajagopal Reddy is all set to enter the fray as BJP candidate.
Earlier the same day, on Friday, during an informal chat with media persons, KTR had claimed that Rajagopal Reddy's firm Sushee Infra and Mining (SIML) received a Rs 22,000 crore contract from the union government and in return, he quit Congress and joined the BJP. He alleged that the contractor imposed an unnecessary bye-election on the people of Munugode. KTR also said that he has information from BJP insiders that Rajagopal Reddy had assured the BJP that he would spend Rs 500 crore to win the upcoming bye-election.
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