Hyderabad: The Governor, Jishnu Dev Varma, has remained silent on the decision to approve the prosecution of K T Rama Rao (KTR), the working president of the BRS party, in connection with the Formula E racing scam. This silence has created difficulties for the state government.
Political leaders believe that the Governor is deliberately delaying the decision due to the political consequences of ordering KTR’s arrest. There are speculations that the BJP leadership may have advised the Governor to delay the issue to avoid any political backlash. Some suggest that the state BJP has been soft on Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, which has raised questions about potential political collusion.
The state government has requested the Governor’s approval to prosecute KTR under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, Section A, related to the Formula E racing scam. Investigators believe KTR approved the release of ₹55 crore without consulting the state’s finance department or the cabinet and paid the money directly to the car racing agency. Despite waiting for a month, the government has not received any response from Raj Bhavan. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has already met with the Governor twice to urge him to make a decision.
Recently, the Governor’s visit to Delhi and KTR’s meeting with Union Ministers have fueled rumors that the BJP leadership may not want to help the Congress-led government arrest the BRS leader. The BJP’s ongoing criticism of the BRS on various issues, while remaining silent on the government’s unmet promises, has led some to believe there is a hidden political understanding between the BJP and the state leadership.
If the Governor approves KTR’s arrest, many believe it will confirm suspicions of a friendly relationship between the BJP and Congress in the state. On the other hand, there are rumors that BRS leaders have asked the BJP leadership to keep the KTR issue aside to avoid future political complications.
Ultimately, it is up to the Governor to make the next move, and any decision from Raj Bhavan will have significant political implications. The BJP high command is expected to make the final call to protect both the Governor’s reputation and the party’s interests.
