Shock to TDP, Revanth 'caught' buying votes

In an incident that caused a political quake, TDP MLA and prominent KCR baiter Revanth Reddy was arrested on Sunday evening allegedly while trying to bribe nominated Ango-Indian MLA Elvis Stephenson.

In a meticulously planned operation, the Anti-Corruption Bureau sleuths lay in wait for Revanth Reddy to hand over the amount of Rs 50 lakh and then immediately took him into custody. The ACB also claims to have recorded the conversation between both the MLAs.

While the TDP and BJP were quick to dismiss this as an act of vendetta and rushed to meet Telangana DGP Anurag Sharma, the TRS alleged that it was now pack-up for TDP in Telangana. 

With the MLC elections to be held on Monday, the game of poaching and luring continuted in Telangana, where TRS has put up five candidates making polling unavoidable. The TRS, which can get four MLCs elected comfortably on its own, has weaned away Kukatpally MLA Madhavaram Krishna Rao from the TDP. With TDP numbers falling short, the party launched  a frantic search to buy neutral voters like the Anglo Indian MLA. ACB sources said the TDP has fixed the deal for Rs 5 crore and has decided to pay Rs 50 lakh initially. It was during this advance payment that the ACB sleuths arrested Revanth.

Revanth has been taken to an undisclosed place for questioning and the sleuths might announce his formal arrest. If convicted Revanth could be disqualified for six years from contesting, which could spell doom for his political career.