If the reports from New Delhi are any indication, the Narendra Modi government is unlikely to bail out Telugu Desam Party chief and AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his party MLA A Revanth Reddy from the cash-for-vote scandal.
Sources from New Delhi said both Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh reportedly expressed helplessness in intervening in the case, since the matter is subjudice and under investigation by the Telangana ACB. But the real reason is that if the Centre tries to help out Naidu and Revanth, it would badly damage the reputation of the BJP at the national level since the entire national media is now after the case.
However, the Prime Minister and Home Minister reportedly assured them that they would look into the possibility of implementation of Section 8 of the AP Reorganisation Act, seeking to give special powers to Governor E S L Narasimhan. There is no clarity as to how it is going to be done.
It was only afer having drawn blank with the Centre, Naidu addressed the press conference in Delhi in which he had displayed his restive behaviour.
“The frustration was glaringly visible in his face,” a scribe from Delhi said.
