Income tax raids on the premises of Telangana Congress’s Chennur candidate Vivek Venkataswamy

Hyderabad: The Income Tax Department officials were conducting searches at the houses and offices of G. Vivek, Congress party candidate from the Chennur Assembly constituency in Telangana.

Simultaneous searches began early Tuesday at the former MP’s premises in Hyderabad and Mancherial.

Different teams of I-T officials were carrying out searches at his houses in Hyderabad and Mancherial. Simultaneous searches were also on at his offices at various places.

Before the assembly elections to be held in Telangana on November 30, the BJP had suffered a big blow when former MP G. Vivek Venkataswamy left the BJP and joined the Congress.

Venkatswamy was also the party’s Manifesto Committee Chairman.

Vivek is contesting the November 30 election from the Chennur constituency in the Mancherial district.Vivek’s supporters staged a protest against the I-T raids outside his residence in Mancherial. They raised slogans against the Central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The ex-MP has jumped parties six times so far.

The former MP is the richest candidate in the fray in Telangana. In the affidavit submitted by him to the Election Commission while filing his nomination, he declared family assets of over Rs 600 crore.

Vivek, founder and chairman of Visaka Industries Ltd, also owns the Telugu channel V6.

The raids were conducted following the BRS’ Chennur candidate Balaka Suman’s complaint before the Election Commission alleging large-scale transfer of money to Vivek Venkataswamy’s company.

Two days ago, the Hyderabad Police reportedly froze an online transaction valued at Rs 8 crore between Visaka Industries and another company. On instructions from the Election Commission, police visited IDBI Bank’s Basheerbagh branch enquired about the alleged transaction and froze the transaction.

Police had also informed the Income-Tax department and joint director, Directorate of Enforcement of Hyderabad zone.