TDP MLA Yeluri Sambasiva Rao under radar for bribing voters in 2019 elections

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh State Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (APSDRI) has uncovered a potential voter bribing scandal involving Nova Agri Tech Pvt Ltd and its chairman TDP MLA Yeluri Sambasiva Rao.

A recent search at the company's premises unearthed a diary containing handwritten entries detailing cash inflows and outflows for bribing voters during the 2019 general elections. These entries, spanning 13 pages, suggest large sums of money were illegally channeled through unknown sources and distributed to voters before the election date of April 11, 2019.

The diary, recovered in the presence of independent witnesses, implicates a former Nova Agri Tech employee, Pullela Ajay Babu. Babu, however, has absconded after being questioned about the entries and switched off his phone, raising further suspicions.

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According to APSDRI authorities, details in the diary, including dates, village names, number of votes per booth, transport charges for out-of-town voters, and other specifics, point towards a well-organised operation to influence the election outcome through illegal means. "The entries also indicate that these expenditures were not reported to the Election Commission," said APSDRI officials.

Investigation revealed that Nova Group employees and key personnel were allegedly involved in carrying out these illegal transactions on behalf of MLA candidate Sambasiva Rao, who ultimately won the seat from Parchuru Assembly Constituency.

Interestingly, several villages mentioned in the diary as recipients of bribe money fall within Parchuru constituency, including Duddukuru, Inkollu, Tahtiparthivaripalem, and Gangavaram. One entry specifically details the assignment of three Nova Group employees – Apparao, Bujjibabu, and Saiganesh – to distribute Rs 15 lakh to voters in Duddukuru village.

Following the discovery, Bapatla district police were informed and have in turn alerted the Income Tax authorities, Enforcement Directorate, and Securities and Exchanges Board of India about the alleged illegal activities. The flow of money from Nova Group companies into intermediary accounts and subsequent cash withdrawals are currently under investigation.

Specific instances of bribes mentioned in the diary include:

• Bribing voters at polling booths 223 to 226 of Pavuluru Village – Rs 1,000 per vote at booth 224 (total of Rs 2,39,000).
• Cash payments to individuals, such as Rs 3,60,000 to ZPTC Venkatrao.
• Distribution of bribes through a list of Nova Group employees.