Khammam : The Income Tax (I-T) Department has launched raids on the premises of Telangana Congress leader Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, a key candidate in the upcoming November 30 polls for the Paleru constituency in Khammam district. Here are the details of this unfolding situation:
- The I-T Department officials commenced these raids during the early hours of Thursday, around 3 a.m. The operation is still underway, and it is being conducted under stringent security measures.
- Before commencing the searches, the I-T officials confiscated the mobile phones of employees at Srinivas Reddy’s residence and offices.
- Srinivas Reddy, a notable Congress leader and also a businessman, had plans to file his nomination on the very day these raids were initiated.
- It’s noteworthy that Srinivas Reddy joined the Congress party in July, a few months after he was suspended by the state’s ruling party, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), due to alleged anti-party activities.
- A day prior to the raids, Srinivas Reddy expressed concerns that I-T searches might be directed at him, his family members, supporters, and other prominent Congress leaders in the district. He alleged that the BJP and BRS had collaborated to deploy central agencies for conducting raids on Congress leaders.
- In a bold statement to the media, Srinivas Reddy suggested that these raids indicate the Congress party’s potential victory in the upcoming Telangana elections. As the co-chairman of the Congress campaign committee, he also indicated that party leaders should be prepared for challenging times ahead.
- Furthermore, Srinivas Reddy urged his fellow party leaders not to be disheartened by the ongoing raids, emphasizing their commitment to the electoral process.
- It’s worth noting that officials from the Election Commission of India, in coordination with the police, conducted searches at the residence of former minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, who is a Congress candidate for the Khammam Assembly constituency. Nageswara Rao recently switched from BRS to the Congress after being denied a ticket to contest the Assembly polls.
- In Khammam, the incumbent transport minister, P. Ajay Kumar, is seeking re-election as a BRS candidate.
These I-T raids on the premises of Congress leaders have added an intriguing twist to the political landscape in Telangana, especially in the lead-up to the November 30 elections.
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