Hyderabad: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs is reportedly looking into the state government’s request to order a CBI probe into the ‘Kaleshwaram scam’.
After Governor Jishnu Dev Varma approved the ACB’s request to allow it to prosecute Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president and former minister KT Rama Rao in the Formula E race case, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs is understood to be weighing an option to order a CBI investigation in the alleged misappropriation of funds and escalation of estimates relating to the components of the Kaleshwaram irrigation project. The damage suffered by three barrages viz. Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla is central to the murky episodes relating to the Kaleshwaram project.
Some top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s state unit have been insisting on a CBI probe to fix the BRS leadership. If that happens, former chief minister and BRS president Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao and former irrigation minister T Harish Rao may go through tough times. Union Home Minister Bandi Sanjay’s recent abrasive political comments threw hints that the BJP is bracing up to position itself as a strong alternative to the Congress.
The imminent prosecution of KTR by the ACB in the Formula E race case has already put the entire BRS leadership in trouble ahead of the impending elections for local bodies.
The BJP lost deposits in the just held Jubilee Hills byelections and the BRS, despite losing the seat deemed as its stronghold, did play as a strong opposition.
After the victory of the Congress in the byelections, political equations have started changing. The Congress has emerged as a strong force and the BRS would have to struggle to maintain the main opposition party status.
“Now, the local body elections are round the corner and the Congress and the BRS are ready to lock horns to show their political dominance. The ACB prosecution during the local body elections would definitely play a spoilsport for BRS,” sources said.
Leaders said that the BJP is of the strong opinion that a CBI probe into the Kaleshwaram project would intensify the crisis in the BRS and the national ruling party will get an opportunity to replace the BRS and emerge as a strong alternative to the Congress in the state’s political landscape.
The only spanner in the works is that BJP MP and former minister E Rajendar was also named in the Kaleshwaram report submitted by the Justice PC Ghose Commission. If the CBI probe is ordered, the BJP MP would have to face consequences. Leaders said that the party high command and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs would take a call on accepting the state government’s request for a CBI investigation in the Kaleshwaram scam only after analysing the probable political consequences in the state politics.
Before the start of the GHMC and other municipality elections, the Centre will come with a decision on CBI investigation, which will also influence the next Assembly elections, leaders reasoned.