Hyderabad: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which is in power in Telangana State, has released a phone recording which it claimed was a conversation between Kerala politician Thushar Vellappally and TRS legislators.
According to the TRS, Thushar, who is the president of the Bharath Dharma Jana Sangh (BDJS), was implementing the BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’ game plan to poach MLAs of other parties to topple governments in states where BJP is not in power.
(TRS has been renamed as Bharat Rashtra Samithi and the new name is formally in force since October 5, 2022.)
In the conversation, the TRS MLAs are invited to meet B L Santhosh, who is the organising secretary of the BJP.
A man – purportedly Thushar – is heard telling the MLAs that further measures could be taken after discussions with Santhosh.
TRS leader Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekara Rao, popularly referred to as KCR, had earlier alleged at a news conference that Thushar was implementing ‘Operation Lotus’ in his state.
Four TRS legislators were offered Rs 100 crore to switch their allegiance to BJP. Thushar was controlling the intermediaries operating in Telangana from Ahmedabad, said KCR.
Three intermediaries were arrested by the Telangana Police in this regard and they have now approached the Supreme Court seeking bail.
However, Thushar denied all the allegations against him and challenged KCR to provide proof. Subsequently, TRS released the phone conversation on Friday.
TRS office-bearers said that the proof had been handed over to the Election Commission.
It would be presented before the Supreme Court when the hearing on the bail plea of the intermediaries takes place, they added.
Incidentally, the three arrested persons told the Telangana Police that they had already made MLAs in eight states to shift loyalties to BJP under ‘Operation Lotus.’
KCR had released a video which indicated that the operation was active in Rajasthan, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh – all states where BJP is not in power.