New Delhi: The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has reportedly directed the Union Home Ministry to probe Revanth Reddy’s ‘cash-for-vote’ scam and get back to it at the earliest following intelligence reports “pinning down the TDP leader conclusively”. This follows the extensive and abrasive coverage of the issue in news channels and the subsequent beating that the ruling party’s image is taking here being an alliance partner.





It is, however, not clear whether the visit of Union Home Minister Piyush Goel to Hyderabad which fuelled an unpleasant debate on the BJP's role of a ‘peace broker’, had forced the PMO to sit-up and take note of the issue. It may be recalled that the BJP made a big hue and cry in a similar scam -- cash for question -- in Lok Sabha some time back taking a moralistic stand and its memories are still fresh in the minds of people.





Coming in this backdrop, the BJP is naturally concerned that its prime ally and "progressive" Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu should have landed in such an unwanted mess. The repeated name-dropping resorted by Revanth Reddy, who was blissfully unaware of recording being done, and the subsequent weak defence offered by his party leadership, have certainly raised a few eyebrows in the PMO that is being keenly watching every development worth its attention nowadays.





It is also learnt that the PMO had compiled its own report from its own sources "for the eyes" of Narendra Modi in this backdrop. It should also be noted that the PMO is in possession of reports that indicate that the TDP leadership was in contact with multiple MLAs to hit back at the TRS leadership that was inducting MLAs from the opposition parties. These reports also look into the alleged horse-trading charges against the TRS.





A reluctant State BJP leadership has been forced to submit its own report to its Central leadership here recently, after applying "NOTA" in the MLC elections to make its contribution to the defeat the lone TDP contestant. However, it preferred to blame Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, too, for the degeneration of politics and accused him of resorting to horse-trading.



By:W Chandrakanth