[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n a major jolt to Telugu Desam Party, the Election Commission of India shifted its focus to the ongoing infamous cash-for-vote scam. EC on Thursday filed a memo in the ACB Court in Hyderabad seeking duplicate copy of the report submitted by FSL.

It may be noted that FSL on Wednesday submitted a preliminary report on the audio that’s alleged to be of Chandrababu Naidu. If ascertained that the voice is that of Chandrababu Naidu, TDP supremo might have to face legal consequences. It has to be mentioned here that cash-for-vote scam came to light when ACB sleuths apprehended TDP MLA Revant Reddy. The same night, media released the footage of the sting operation that showed Revant Reddy promising five crore rupees to nominated MLA to Telangana assembly, Stephenson, in case he votes for TDP candidate in MLC elections.

Days after that sting operation went viral, vernacular media aired the audio tapes that allegedly contained conversation between Chandrababu and Stephenson. While TDP said that the audio was fabricated and also said that the phones were tapped, Telangana Government stressed that telephone lines were not fabricated.  Now that Election Commission has also plunged into this activity, it might take an action against Chandrababu Naidu only if it’s proved that the voice in the audio is that of Chandrababu. The experts said that the action could be banning the political party or its supremo from contesting elections and exercising his vote.

Notably, Election Commission earlier took such strong decisions and Shiv Sena’s Bal Thackeray can be cited as an example as he was banned from exercising his vote for a period of six years for proving guilty in a communal violence case. How and when Election Commission is going to crack its whip against TDP has now become the talk of the town.

(Phani B)