Warrant issued for India minister

A court in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has issued a warrant for the arrest of a federal minister over alleged misuse of election funds.

The warrant was issued after K Chandrashekhar Rao, also head of the regional Telangana Rashtra Samiti party, failed to appear in court.

A member of his party accused him of keeping deposit money from candidates hoping to contest assembly elections.

Mr Rao was unavailable for comment on the issue on Wednesday.

Accusation

Leading party member N Parhalad had filed a complaint to the court that Mr Rao had collected 7.8m rupees ($168,500) from candidates who wanted to contest recent assembly elections on the TRS party ticket.

Mr Parhalad said he too had sought a TRS ticket for a seat and deposited 10,000 rupees for it.

He says he did not get the ticket, nor did Mr Rao return his money.

The case was filed on 10 May and the judge had summoned Mr Rao to appear in court on Wednesday.

Mr Rao, a minister without portfolio, has accused opponents, some inside his own party, of trying to target him.

Party sources say a recall petition is being moved in the court to withdraw the warrant against the minister.