I-T searches at residences, offices of Congress candidate Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy in Telangana

Hyderabad: Ahead of November 30 assembly polls, the Income Tax department officials on Thursday carried out searches at the residences and offices of Congress candidate P Srinivas Reddy here and in Khammam, sources said.

Reddy is contesting from Palair assembly segment in Khammam District and was scheduled to file his nomination papers today.

Followers of the Congress leader raised slogans protesting the searches in Khammam.

Talking to mediapersons, Reddy said searches began at 5.05 AM by "hundreds" of officials with the help of police.

"I know that this kind of searches will be carried out against me. These searches are being carried out on the advice of BRS, which is BJP's B Team. I said the same thing in my Yesterday's press conference. I wanted to file nomination today. Deliberately, in order to create fear psychosis among the party workers, they are carrying out searches," he said.

He alleged that the BRS is the "B Team" of BJP, and that the searches were being conducted at the ruling party's behest.

The Congress leader, at a press conference, on Wednesday indicated that the Central agencies such as Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate may conduct raids aiming at him.

Reddy alleged that during the past several days, the Central agencies were focusing their 'searches' on Congress leaders.

The ruling BRS government in Telangana and BJP colluded in the "attacks" on Congress party leaders, he further alleged.

"I request all my followers not to resort to any activity as they (Central agencies) may trouble me and my companies also," Reddy had said.

Last week, I-T officials searched the residences of K Laxma Reddy, Maheshwaram assembly segment Congress candidate and Badangpet Municipal Corporation Mayor Chigurintha Parijata Narasimha Reddy.