TRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has rewarded Elvis Stephenson, an Anglo-Indian nominated MLA in Telangana Legislative Assembly, with MLA post yet again.
KCR on Monday re-nominated Stephenson as an MLA of TS Legislative Assembly under Ango-Indian quota.
Stephenson hogged national limelight in the sensational 'cash for vote' case in Telangana in May 2015.
Stephenson helped KCR and ACB to catch then TDP MLA A.Revanth Reddy red-handed, while he was offering Rs 50 lakh bribe as part of Rs 5 crore deal to vote in favour of TDP in the MLC elections held in June 2015.
Stephenson also helped KCR and ACB to record the alleged phone conversation between TDP chief and AP CM N.Chandrababu Naidu, in which Chandrababu allegedly assured Stephenson that he will honour all the promises made by TDP leaders to vote for TDP MLC candidate.
While Revanth was sent to Chanchalguda later, ACB booked cases on Chandrababu for luring TRS nominated MLA with money.
The 'cash for vote' incident became a weapon in the hands of KCR to finish off TDP in Telangana later, made AP CM N.Chandrababu Naidu to fled away from common capital Hyderabad to Amaravathi, shift AP Assembly and AP Secretariat and all AP offices in Hyderabad to Amaravathi on a war-footing though AP government had the opportunity to work from Hyderabad for 10 years as per AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.
Out of 15 TDP MLAs in TS Assembly then, 12 MLAs joined TRS and merged TDP into TRS in Assembly.
On Monday, CM KCR held a two-member cabinet meeting, which includes himself and home minister Mohd Mahmood Ali at Pragathi Bhavan. The cabinet approved nomination of Stephenson as MLA for second term and sent to Governor for approval, which is a mere formality.
Normally, nominated MLAs are appointed several months after new Assembly is constituted. Last time, Stephenson was nominated five months after Assembly was constituted.
This time, he was nominated even before new MLAs in new Assembly took oath.
Stephenson will get a rare opportunity of taking oath along with elected MLAs on January 17, when new TS Assembly session begins.