The huge haul of narcotic drugs, a staggering 25,000 kgs, at Visakhapatnam port the other day is causing tremors in Andhra Pradesh politics, apparently for its alleged links to the TDP and BJP and their influential families. Based on information from Interpol, sleuths of CBI and Customs intercepted a shipping container that arrived from Brazil and unearthed the contraband substance. The narcotics drugs, including a large amount of cocaine, were concealed in about 1,000 bags of dry yeast, used for shrimp feeding in aqua cultivation.

The scale of the cache suggests that this is perhaps the biggest seizure in entire south India, thereby causing consternation among the public. But the way both the TDP and its crony media frantically indulged in mud-slinging on the ruling YSRCP since Thursday night raised eyebrows. However, as soon as the authorities went on the trail of the evidences, the ‘real skeletons’ began tumbling out of the cupboard.

To everyone’s surprise, the roots of this drug scandal have allegedly been traced to the TDP. To be more precise, the persons behind this alleged drug smuggling racket are believed to be either related or have strong connections with the Nandamuri, Nara and Daggubati families.

The authorities established the fact that the container was requisitioned from Brazil by Sandhya Aqua Private Limited, owned by Kunam Veerabhadra Rao, its MD, and his son Kotaiah Chowdary who is its CEO. It is alleged that AP BJP chief Purandheswari’s son and her close relative Prasada Rao have their business connections with Sandhya Aqua. Soon after the scandal surfaced, pictures of Kotaiah Chowdary with several influential TDP leaders have been making rounds on social media platforms to buttress the connections of the accused with the opposition party.

It is further alleged that Veerabhadra Rao and Kotaiah Chowdary have close family and personal links with ‘Geetham’ Bharat who is related to Nara Lokesh, party’s influential leaders Damaracharla Satya and Lavu Srikrishnadevarayalu. Damaracharla Satya is known within the TDP circles as a close aide of Chandrababu Naidu. Srikrishnadevarayalu incidentally switched his political loyalties recently from the YSRCP to the TDP. Chandrababu Naidu has fielded him as the party’s Lok Sabha candidate from Narasaraopet.
Kunam Veerabhadra Rao, the MD of Sandha Acqua Private Limited, is also said to be a partner once in Sadhya Marine, a firm promoted by a close relative of Daggubati Purandheswari.

Chandrababu Naidu’s crony media, nicknamed the ‘yellow media’, ended up having an egg on its face as startling details of the scandal began surfacing. Its sinister plan to spin around the drug scandal and implicate the ruling YSRCP has fallen flat on its face.

Whats up ‘Telugu Drugs Party’ @JaiTDP!#TeluguDrugsParty pic.twitter.com/XgtpowH6r0

— YSR Congress Party (@YSRCParty) March 21, 2024

The stunning revelations on the TDP links have also left Chandrababu Naidu, party’s national general secretary Lokesh and Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan with their foot in the mouth. Ever since the news broke out, all the three leaders screamed through their social media accounts alleging the YSRCP involvement in the drugs racket.

Meanwhile, Sandhya Acqua Executive Director Hari refuted the claims of his company’s involvement in the smuggling of 25,000 kgs of contraband substances. He said that they had ordered the dry yeast, used for shrimp feeding, from Brazil for the first time. The shipment left Brazil on January 14 before reaching Visakhapatnam port on March 16, he added. “Based on information from Interpol, the substance that arrived from the container was tested. The CBI suspects it to be a banned drug. Our company has nothing to do with it and we will fully cooperate with the investigation. It is sad that the incident is being used for political mileage,” he said.