Narsapur MP K Raghurama Krishnam Raju, on Tuesday predicted that the ruling YSR Congress would go for early elections in the state. He said that the early polls will be held either with the general elections in Karnataka or Telangana, which are scheduled for 2023.

He told media persons that Chief Minister and YSR Congress president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was planning to go for early elections. He claimed that Jagan had given indications to some of the MLAs and MPs about his plans for early elections. He referred to Jagan holding interactive sessions with he MLAs, party coordinators and other leaders besides the constituency cadre.

The MP also alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy was mounting pressure on the MLAs and the MPs to keep the money ready for the elections. He said that the chief minister was asking them to give the money in advance to him, promising to give a matching amount to be spent in the election.

Raghurama Krishnam Raju alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy had centralised the expenditure for the next elections. He alleged that the chief minister was using all sources, mostly the government institutions to distribute money to the people during the election.

The MP also found fault with Jagan for his plans to appoint two more party volunteers for every 50 houses. He said that these party volunteers would work in coordination with the volunteers already working with the government wages. These three volunteers were expected to mount pressure on the people to vote only for the YSR Congress, he alleged.

Raghurama Krishnam Raju criticised Jagan Mohan Reddy and the YSR Congress leaders for spending Rs 2.5 crore of State government money to celebrate Jagan’s birthday in the state. Stating that Jagan Mohan Reddy had amassed wealth, he sought to advise the chief minister to spend from his own treasure for his birthday instead of looting the State treasure.

The MP also alleged that the YSR Congress leaders were forcing the students and youth to donate blood in the state marking Jagan’s birthday. He wondered why should the youth and students donate blood by force and asked the chief minister to stop drawing blood of the people in the name of his birthday celebrations.

In a breather to Andhra Pradesh MP K. Raghurama Krishna Raju, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing MLAs’ poaching case has exempted him from appearance on Tuesday.

The rebel MP of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) was informed by the SIT that he need not appear before the probe team on Tuesday.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Gangadhar sent a mail to the Lok Sabha member in this regard. Raju was told that he would be informed later as to when he should make himself available for questioning.

The SIT had last week issued the notice under section 41A of Criminal Procedure Code to Raju, a Lok Sabha member from the Narasapuram constituency. He was directed to appear before the SIT officials in Hyderabad on November 29.

The probe team had reportedly summoned him to question him about his links with the accused in the case.

Raju is the seventh person to be summoned by the SIT for questioning.

Lawyers Bhusarapu Srinivas and Pratap Goud and Chitralekha, wife of Nanda Kumar, one of the three accused in the case, have so far appeared before the SIT.

BJP general secretary B.L. Santosh, Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) president Tushar Vellapally and a doctor from Kerala, Jaggu Swamy are yet to appear.

The SIT has issued lookout notices for Tushar, an ally of the BJP in Kerala and Jaggu Swamy as the probe team failed to locate their whereabouts.

The Telangana High Court last week stayed SIT notice to Santosh till December 5.

Ramachandra Bharati alias Satish Sharma, Simhayaji and Nanda Kumar were arrested by the Cyberabad police from a farmhouse at Moinabad near Hyderabad on the night of October 26 when they were allegedly trying to lure four MLAs of TRS with offers of huge money to make them defect to the BJP.

Cyberabad police conducted the raid on a tip-off by Pilot Rohit Reddy, one of the MLAs. He alleged that the accused offered Rs 100 crore to him and Rs 50 crore each to three others.

The accused were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Prevention of Corruption Act.

YSR Congress rebel MP K Raghurama Krishnam Raju was given a notice by the Telangana Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the MLA’s poaching case. The SIT served the notice under section 41A of the Criminal Procedure Code asking him to come for questioning at its office in Banjara Hills on November 29.

The Telangana SIT is investigating the MLA’s poaching case in which three persons were already arrested. The SIT nabbed Ramachandra Bharati, Nanda Kumar and Simha Yaji on the day when they tried to bribe the TRS MLAs to defect to the BJP.

The SIT also issued notices to BJP national secretary B L Santosh, Bharatiya Dharma Sena chief Thushar, a doctor from Kerala, Dr Jaggu Swamy, advocate Srinivas in connection with the case.

As part of the investigation, the SIT is said to have collected information on the links of Raghurama Krishnam Raju in the episode. It is alleged that Raghurama Krishnam Raju had spoken to the TRS MLAs and the three main accused in the case before the actual poaching happened in Hyderabad.

Raghurama Krishnam Raju, who differed with the YSR Congress leadership in Andhra Pradesh had been trying to move closer to the BJP leadership in Delhi. Though he is knocking at the doors of the Jana Sena and the TDP, his eyes are on BJP to contest again from Narsapur Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 general election.

In the process, it is alleged that the MP had tried to bring some MLAs from the TRS in Telangana and some MLAs from the ruling YSR Congress in Andhra Pradesh. He had allegedly made some telephone calls to the MLAs in both the Telugu states encouraging them to defect to the BJP ahead of the next general elections.

Raghurama Krishnam Raju is also facing cases of sedition in Andhra Pradesh and the CID had issued notices asking him to attend the questioning. The Hyderabad police have also registered cases against him for allegedly beating a CID constable near his house in Hyderabad.

YSR Congress rebel MP, K Raghurama Krishnam Raju, on Friday, predicted early polls in Andhra Pradesh. He said that chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was planning to go for early election on three capitals slogan.

The MP said that the state is likely to see the next round of election in April-May in 2023. He said that the chief minister had directed some of the ruling party MLAs to send their resignations on three capitals issue in support of decentralisation.

Once some MLAs quit the Assembly, the ruling party would start debate and campaign in the state on decentralisation and target the opposition TDP, he said. He further added that the ruling party had already started a campaign on decentralisation and the Saturday’s rally in Visakhapatnam is a clear indication to read Jagan Mohan Reddy’s mind.

The MP said that the chief minister would seek the resignations of the remaining MLAs and dissolve the Assembly so as to have the election in early 2023. The strategy of the chief minister is very clear, he said and added that the chief minister was planning to hit the sentiments of the people of Uttarandhra and Rayalaseema against Amaravati.

The next Assembly elections would be held with clashes among the people of the three regions, the MP alleged and blamed the chief minister for trying to use the sentiments for political gain. He also alleged that the YSR Congress and Jagan Mohan Reddy were planning to create law and order problems in the state to stop the Amaravati farmers from continuing their padayatra to Arasavalli in Srikakulam district.

The MP blamed the chief minister for closing the Godavari bridge at Rajamahendravaram for maintenance at a time when the Amaravati farmers were about to cross the river. He made an appeal to the Union government to direct the officials and the state government to open the bridge for the farmers to walk through.

YSR Congress rebel MP from Narasapur in West Godavari district, K Raghurama Krishnam Raju, on Monday, did not turn up for questioning by the CID sleuths at the DilKusha Guest House in Hyderabad.

The CID police have booked a case against the MP and his son for allegedly beating up a CID constable at their house in Hyderabad a couple of months ago. When the CID filed a case in the Gachibowli police station.

The MP filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking quash of the case. But the supreme court directed the CID to question the MP only in Hyderabad in the presence of his advocate and three other government officials.

Accordingly, the CID sleuths have issued notice to the MP asking him to come for the questioning on Monday. They have also brought a local deputy tahsildar and doctor, besides another person to the Dilkusha guest house.

However, the MP did not turn up and said that he had already sent a letter to the CID to send notices to the representatives of the two news channels to be present when they questioned him. As the CID did not bring the representatives of the new channels, he said he would not attend the questioning as per the guidelines of the supreme court.

The CID officials Sunil Nayak, SPs Jayasurya and Gopala Krishna, waited at the guest house for the MP. As the MP did not come, they went back stating that they would send the letter once again to the MP.

YSR Congress rebel MP, K Raghurama Krishnam Raju, seems to have started playing mind games ahead of the 2024 general elections. He started moving away from YSR Congress and its chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, a few months after his election to the Lok Sabha from Narasapur constituency in West Godavari district.

Ever since, he had been leading a campaign against the YSR Congress, Jagan Mohan Reddy and the State government headed by Jagan. He holds a daily briefing for the media either from Delhi or Hyderabad, where he attacks Jagan and the government in the most heckling form.

He had strongly lobbied to join the BJP, but things were not in his favour. He then tried to move close to the Jana Sena. Here too, things were not in his favour as it appears. Sources say Pawan Kalyan had said no to Raghurama’s entry as the latter had defied Jagan and there would be no guarantee that he would not turn against Jana Sena.

Now, the only option is TDP or end his political career. The latest survey released by him the other day gives TDP a clear edge in the 2024 general elections. According to his survey, the TDP would win 93 Assembly seats hands down. The number would go up to 127 if the TDP aligns with the Jana Sena.

He found a clear anti-incumbency in the state and voters were moving closer to the TDP, isolating the YSR Congress.

If his survey was genuine and reflects the views of the people, he would reap the benefit as well the TDP. But, if his survey was to please the TDP, both the party and himself would end up losing everything. Because, before the 2019 general elections, former MP and Andhra Octopus, Lagadapati Rajagopal, too had released a similar survey report. People knew where Lagadapati is now in Andhra Pradesh politics!

Rebel MP K Raghurama Krishnam Raju wrote a letter to Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao alleging that Cyberabad Police Commissioner Stephen Ravindra colluded with AP police against him. This is with reference to the MP’s security personnel from the CRPF thrashing an AP Intelligence wing constable the other day.

The CRPF had already placed an ASI K Ganga Ram, who is currently in the security wing of the MP, under suspension for beating the constable at the behest of the MP’s family members and staff. However, the MP alleged that the AP government had conspired to eliminate him and had conducted recce at his residence in Hyderabad in the past too.

The other day, some people were found moving suspiciously and were questioned by his security personnel. While others ran away, the MPs security personnel caught one person by name Subhani Basha, who claimed himself as a constable in the AP Intelligence Wing. However, the MP said that the constable did not provide his identification forcing them to hand him over to the Gachibowli police station in Hyderabad along with a complaint.

In contrast to these facts, the city police commissioner was trying to dilute the case and had forced the police to book cases against the CRPF personnel, the MP said. He also tried to remind KCR that Stephen Ravindra was sought by AP police on deputation in the past and felt that the IPS officer was helping the AP government now.

The MP requested the chief minister to do justice to him and also take stringent action against those who were conducting recce at his residence posing threat to him and his family members.

Meanwhile, the AP government said that the Intelligence Wing had posted its constables at the Gachibowli ISB gate in the event of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Telugu States. The AP government said that the MP’s men have kidnapped the constable, took away his Identification card and thrashed him. The constable too had filed a case against the MP’s family members and his security personnel.

Rebel MP K Raghurama Krishnam Raju, who could not make it to the Bhimavaram meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now alleging life threat to him from chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The MP had made an attempt to reach Bhimavaram on Sunday night by train first and then by road later. However, he came to know that his name did not figure in the protocol list either at the airport or on the dais. On learning about this, Raghurama Krishnam Raju went back to Hyderabad from where he went to Delhi.

The MP later on Monday alleged that his security personnel have found two unidentified persons near his Hyderabad house. They were claiming to be the police of the AP CBCID, the MP said.

He also alleged that the ruling YSR Congress activists have tried to eliminate him on the road as they followed him both in the train and his road journey.

The MP who had been severely criticising Jagan Mohan Reddy, particularly with reference to the Bhimavaram meeting, alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy had turned out to be more dangerous than British officer Rutherford who killed Alluri Sitarama Raju.

The MP also expressed concern over the non-inclusion of his name in the protocol list. He said he had already written a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to strictly follow the protocol. In spite of his efforts, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government had removed his name from the list, he said.

Raghurama Krishnam Raju further said that he would take up the issue legally and protect his rights, besides his life.

YSR Congress rebel MP K Raghurama Krishnam Raju on Saturday said that he would attend the public meeting in Bhimavaram on July 4 where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to be present.

Raghurama Krishnam Raju secured Z Plus security for him for five days from July 2 to 7 to attend the meeting. He also secured clearance from the AP High Court directing the police not to arrest the MP on pending cases and strictly follow the procedure if new cases are filed.

He had booked a helicopter for him from Hyderabad to Bhimavaram. He is trying to get the ground clearance for his helicopter to land in Bhimavaram. If permission is not given, he is ready to move the high court again.

He is also ready with Plan B to land in Rajamahendravaram or Gannavaram airport and reach Bhimavaram by road. He is likely to carry an advocate and a couple of media persons besides his Z Plus security personnel drawn from the CRPF along with him.

He is also mobilising some people in and around Bhimavaram to protect him and had even asked the media there to keep a video camera on his movements and the movements of the police all through his travel and stay in Andhra Pradesh.

He is also equipped with secret cameras fixed to his security personnel, his advocate and his assistants all along his travel to record everything, including the movement of the people. One wonders why is he doing all this just to attend the public meeting!

The answer is a challenge that he threw to chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to stop him from attending the meeting!

YSR Congress rebel MP K Raghurama Krishnam Raju on Friday finally secured AP High Court protection for his visit to Bhimavaram in West Godavari district on July 4. He would be participating in the meeting to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to unveil the statue of revolutionary freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju.

Raghurama Krishnam Raju had been trying to attend the meeting as the local MP and had secured clearance from the Prime Minister’s Office. He also tried to arrive here by a helicopter but was scared of AP police arresting him on the pending cases.

The MP is facing several cases for his anti-government comments in the media over the last two-and-a-half years. While there are official cases registered against him by the state police, some sections of the people have also filed cases against him for his alleged derogatory remarks against them.

The High Court too had given permission to the CID to question the MP in Hyderabad in some of these cases. However, fearing arrest by the police, the MP moved a lunch motion in the high court on Friday seeking direction to the police not to arrest him on July 4th and 5th as he had to attend the Prime Minister’s meeting.

The court had directed the state police not to book any cases against the MP on those two days. The court also directed the police to follow the procedure. The court asked the police to adhere to the rules and not to arrest him on those two days.

Raghurama Krishnam Raju had been speaking against the government for the past ten days expressing fears of his possible arrest. He also made several attempts to get security from the Central government, SPG and the Union Home Ministry besides the Prime Minister’s Office.

Now that the MP has the protection from the high court, it is to be seen how the AP police would make their next move.

Rebel MP K Raghurama Krishnam Raju accused chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy of stalling him from visiting his home constituency, Bhimavaram to participate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s programme.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to unveil the statue of revolutionary freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju in Bhimavaram on the day marking the 125th birth anniversary of the leader. The Prime Minister would also address a public meeting on the day.

Raghurama Krishnam Raju, who had deferred with the YSR Congress and had been criticising the party and the state government headed by Jagan Mohan Reddy for the past three years is now accusing the government of preventing him from attending the meeting.

He said he had had booked a helicopter from Hyderabad to reach Bhimavaram. However, he did not get ground clearance from the state government. He further said that he had also booked a first class coach of the railways to take him to Bhimavaram from Hyderabad, but he did not get approval from the railways yet.

He is now trying to get into the SPG helicopters that accompany the Prime Minister and was not sure whether he would get clearance or not. “As a local MP, I want to be there in the meeting when the Prime Minister visits my constituency,” he said.

However, he alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy was stalling him in all the ways and accused the BJP government of helping Jagan because of the Presidential elections. When asked whether he had any plans to visit Bhimavaram by road, the rebel MP feared that he might be killed in a road accident as Jagan Mohan Reddy is not ready to accept him in the state.

The AP CBCID police have got clearance from the High Court on Wednesday to question YSR Congress rebel MP from Narasapur, K Raghurama Krishnam Raju, in the case related to campaign against the state government.

The high court dismissed the quash petition filed by the MP who alleged that the CID had filed false cases against him. He also alleged that the CID sleuths have harassed him and caused physical injuries to him. He further said that the CID police have beaten him up and wanted relief from the case.

However, the court dismissed his petition and permitted the CID police to question him. The court also told the CID to question the MP at Hyderabad’s Dilkush guest house.

The case was related to the MP’s series of press meets where he accused the government of promoting Christians and accused chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy of heavy corruption and nepotism. The case was actually filed under sedition sections but they were withdrawn as the Supreme Court withdrew these sections.

Raghurama Krishnam Raju had been venting his anger against the state government and the chief minister for the past two-and-a-half years. He had pledged to defeat the party in the next elections and had filed several cases against the government and the chief minister.

He also intervened in the CBI cases against Jagan Mohan Reddy and wanted the court to speed up the trial, which further intensified his war against Jagan Mohan Reddy and his party. He is accused of acting at the behest of opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu for his criticism against the government.

It is now to be seen when the CID would make its move to question the MP.