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TDP MP Putta Mahesh Kumar asked to explain role in drugs after Hyderabad farmhouse raid
The TDP also issued a statement saying the Eluru MP was asked to submit a written explanation to the party within 48 hours.
The Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh has issued a show cause notice to its Lok Sabha member from Eluru Putta Mahesh Kumar Yadav, who was allegedly caught by Telangana Police at a late-night party in Hyderabad on Saturday and was subsequently tested positive for drugs.
State TDP president Palla Srinivasa Rao said on Monday that following the directions from chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, he had issued a show-cause notice to Mahesh Kumar Yadav, seeking an explanation from him.
“Naidu has taken serious note of the reports of the MP being caught by the Telangana police for allegedly consuming drugs, as any development that undermines the party’s public credibility will not be tolerated,” Rao said.
The TDP also issued a statement saying the Eluru MP was asked to submit a written explanation to the party within 48 hours, addressing the allegations that have surfaced in the public domain. “Till the issue is examined and clarity emerges about his role in the case, Mahesh Kumar Yadav has been advised to refrain from participating in party activities,” the statement said.
Rao indicated that failure to furnish a satisfactory response within the stipulated time may invite further action in accordance with the party’s organisational rules and disciplinary framework.
“The party’s standing in public life cannot be compromised by the personal lapses or vulnerabilities of individuals,” the Rao said, adding that the organisation remains resolute in preserving its integrity and public trust.
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Meanwhile, Mahesh Kumar Yadav, who was released on bail on Sunday, released a video message on social media denying all allegations against him. He asserted that he had no bad habits and had committed no wrongdoing. “I went to Moinabad (Hyderabad) only because a friend invited me to meet him,” he said.
He claimed that some incidents occurred while he was leaving after meeting his friend. “Various stories are now being circulated in the media. I request people not to believe them,” he said.
Yadav said he would fully cooperate with the police investigation and expressed confidence that the truth would ultimately prevail. “The people of Eluru, along with TDP leaders and workers, are aware of my character. I shall soon come before the public with complete details,” he said.
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However, the remand report submitted by the Moinabad police before the local court on Monday while seeking the police custody of three of the accused clearly indicated that Mahesh Kumar had indeed consumed drugs and tested positive.
Meanwhile, the opposition YSR Congress party on Monday demanded that the TDP MP immediately resign from his Lok Sabha membership.
Senior YSRCP leader and former minister Merugu Nagarjuna said that the TDP MP’s continuation in Parliament was “unacceptable.” He accused the chief minister of protecting the MP instead of suspending him, terming it “nothing but a delaying tactic.”
The YSRCP social media wing released a video of Naidu addressing a public rally while campaigning for Yadav in Eluru during the May 2024 assembly elections in the state, in which he allegedly claimed that the TDP, if voted to power, would take strict action against drug peddlers and consumers.
“Instead of fulfilling his promise of making Andhra Pradesh drug-free, Naidu has turned the state into a hub for drugs, ganja and illicit liquor. His own party MP is now caught for consuming drugs,” Nagarjuna alleged.
BIG POLITICAL FAMILY
Several members of Yadav’s family are active in public life, extending to Telangana politics. His father, Putta Sudhakar Yadav, is the MLA from Mydukur and previously served as chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) trust board. His uncle, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, is a veteran TDP leader, a former state minister and a former speaker of the state legislative assembly. Ramakrishnudu’s daughter Divya represents Tuni as an MLA.
Moreover, former minister and current Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLA Talasani Srinivas Yadav is related to Mahesh’s family – his brother Ravi Yadav is married into the Talasani family. Naveen Yadav, who recently won the Jubilee Hills by-election on the Congress ticket, is also closely related to Talasani Srinivas Yadav.
