Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao held a review meeting on the sensational vote-for-note scam on Monday with ACB officials.
The meeting assumes significance in the backdrop of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s voice being reportedly confirmed in the tapes that were recorded by the ACB officials ahead of MLC elections in 2015. The five-hour-long meeting apparently discussed how to go ahead in the case pending in Supreme Court. The then ACB Director General A.K. Khan and the present chief J. Poornachandra Rao attended.
According to sources the officials reportedly informed the Chief Minister that Forensic Lab, in its report, confirmed Mr. Naidu’s presence and his voice during a telephonic conversation with nominated MLC Stephenson. The then TDP MLA A. Revanth Reddy allegedly tried to bribe the nominated MLC to cast his vote in favour of the TDP nominee in the Council elections.
The Chief Minister also took the opinion of legal experts and officials of the Law Department. The meeting was apparently held in view of the case filed by Jerusalem Mathiah, also an accused in the case, who had petitioned the Supreme Court that he would turn approver.
According to political sources the development comes in the wake of Mr. Naidu severing his ties with the BJP-led NDA Government over the special category status issue.
Ironically, Mr Rao too is floating the idea of Federal Front against the Congress and the BJP. However, the Opposition parties in TS and AP accuse the TRS of having tacit understanding with the BJP. The timing of the review meeting coincided with the Finance Ministers’ meeting in Amaravati where the Telanagana government stayed away. Congress leaders termed the review meeting as a bid to corner the AP Chief Minister and Revanth Reddy, the strong critic of KCR and the TRS government. The Chief Minister is likely to hold another meeting on Tuesday.
