TDP Cracks Down on Drugs-Tainted MP After Hyderabad Bust

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) wasted no time in responding to a compromising scandal involving its Eluru MP Putta Mahesh Kumar Yadav, caught in a drugs sweep at a posh Hyderabad farmhouse. A show-cause notice now demands his side of the story, sidelining him from party roles in the interim.

Late Saturday, Telangana’s EAGLE unit stormed former BRS MLA Pilot Rohit Reddy’s Moinabad estate, uncovering a drug session. Yadav’s positive test for banned substances, alongside five others including Reddy, prompted serious charges under multiple acts including NDPS for cocaine and arms possession.

Andhra CM and TDP boss N. Chandrababu Naidu, appalled by the revelations, instructed state president Palla Srinivasa Rao to issue the ultimatum: explain in writing within five days or face consequences. The directive explicitly halts Yadav’s party involvement pending review.

Media coverage has amplified the blow to TDP’s image, with the notice stressing the leadership’s alarm. Insiders say Naidu views this as a non-negotiable red line against narcotics in leadership.

Station bail freed Yadav Sunday, but his political future hangs by a thread. This bust highlights intensifying probes into elite drug networks straddling Telangana-Andhra borders. For TDP, it’s a chance to exemplify swift justice, fortifying its anti-corruption credentials post-elections.

As Yadav prepares his defense, the episode serves as a stark reminder of the perils of off-duty indiscretions for public servants. TDP’s handling could emerge as a model for party discipline in turbulent times.