MLC K Kavitha’s latest comments seem to have brought out in the open the infighting within K Chandrashekar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). Several reports on Friday suggested that BRS leader K Kavitha took a veiled jibe at her brother and BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) in an informal interview recently.
Here’s what K Kavitha said targeting BRS leaders — that has triggered a flutter in the political arena:
1. BJP-BRS merger talks
BRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha made shocking revelations on Thursday, claiming that discussions regarding a merger of the BRS with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took place when she was in jail in connection with the Delhi liquor scam case — a proposal she claimed to have rejected.
“A proposal was brought to me when I was in jail to merge the party into the BJP. But I rejected it. BRS is Rama Raksha to Telangana,” Kavitha, an MLC and a former MP, was quoted by news agency ANI as saying on Thursday.
She said, “The BRS is the party which has the spirit of Telangana and the root cause of the existence of the state. It should not be merged with a national party and the same was conveyed to her father KCR.”
2. ‘Leaked’ letter to father KCR
K Kavitha’s six-page letter to her father, K Chandrashekhar Rao (kcr), raised various issues, highlighting both the negative and positive aspects of the party’s recent public meeting at Warangal, news agency ANI reported.
The handwritten “feedback” reportedly mentioned issues ranging from “KCR’s style of functioning and organisational lapses to what she considered shortcomings in the party’s political positions,” the Indian Express reported on May 28
The BRS celebrated its Silver Jubilee on April 27 in Warangal. In the letter “leaked” recently, Kavitha reportedly referred to KCR attacking the BJP for only about two minutes, while his entire tirade focused on the Congress rule.
Kavitha had said in the letter written in Telugu and English, as cited by PTI: “As you [KCR] spoke for just two minutes, some people began speculating that there will be a tie-up with the BJP in future. I even felt that you should have spoken strongly [against the BJP]. It might be because I suffered [because of the BJP]. But you should have targeted the BJP some more, Daddy.”
Kavitha also cited Rao’s silence at party’s public meeting in Warangal, on key issues such as 42 percent reservation for backward classes, Scheduled Castes categorisation, Waqf Amendment Act, and omission of Urdu from his address as reasons for the negative feedback, PTI reported.
In the letter, she targeted the Congress government, saying it has lost its support among the grassroots, and some BRS cadres now view the BJP as a viable alternative. Kavitha added that a strong signal was sent to the party workers when the BRS chose not to contest the recent MLC elections, suggesting they might align with the BJP.
3. ‘Conspiracies’
K Kavitha had earlier alleged that some conspiracies are taking place in the party as her letter to her father got “leaked”. Speaking to reporters at the RGI airport after returning from the US, she also wondered how an internal letter became public.
She said last week (around May 23), “Two weeks ago, I had written a letter to KCR ji. I had expressed my opinions to him earlier through letters. I had recently said that conspiracies are taking place. The letter written by me internally to KCR ji became public. All of us in the party and Telangana people have to think about what is happening.”
“My only demand: who leaked the letter? The letter was for internal communication only,” Kavitha said.
4. KCR surrounded by ‘devils’
“KCR is like god who is surrounded by some devils,” K Kavita was quoted by PTI as saying on May 23 when asked who is making the conspiracy that she talked about.
She said, “A lot of damage is being caused because of them [devils]. I am KCR’s daughter. If the letter written by me internally became public, there should be a debate about the fate of others in the party,” she said.
Last week, Rama Rao responded to a question about his sister Kavitha’s comments that KCR is surrounded by some “devils”. He said that internal party matters should be discussed within the party instead of speaking out in public.
5. Veiled attack on brother KTR
In an informal interaction with reporters at her residence on Thursday (May 29), Kavitha allegedly made indirect remarks targeting her brother and BRS working president KT Rama Rao.
According to the New Indian Express, she spoke about internal party dynamics, criticising the influence of “paid social media workers” and questioning the leadership’s direction.
Kavitha said that after she raised concerns about the letter “leak”, a few party members began targeting her through social media. She alleged that a conspiracy was underway to isolate her from the party and from KCR
In an apparent reference to KTR, she asked what purpose was served by celebrating the party’s silver jubilee in the United States while grassroots workers in Telangana were being ignored. Kavitha reportedly said the party cannot be managed “solely through Twitter”.
“What are you celebrating in the United States? I don’t understand why we are not celebrating anything at the grassroots level?,” she asked her brother, Rama Rao, without taking his name. Rama Rao is currently touring the USA and UK.
6. ‘Coverts’ in BRS
As she claimed that some leaders were conspiring to merge the BRS with the BJP, Kavitha questioned why no action was being taken against “coverts” in the party.
“I feel some leaders want the BRS to be handed over to the BJP. Even the merger proposal came while I was in jail. I opposed it and said I’d rather remain in jail than allow the merger,” Kavitha was quoted by the New Indian Express as saying.
She asked, “If I could face jail, why are these leaders not standing up? Where has the party’s fighting spirit gone?”
The BRS MLC criticised people in her party, labelling them “converts.” She said, “Is it okay to say there are coverts? Coverts should be controlled, and KCR should be protected…If BRS is weak, the BJP and the Congress will become strong.”
7. Biases
On the notices served to KCR by the PC Ghose Commission, Kavitha said there was no action plan for a statewide protest but noted that the party had reacted differently when another leader received similar notices. Her statement came amid “the vocal defence of Rama Rao who is facing summons in the Formula-E case.”
Without naming anyone, she took potshots at the leaders from her own party and said that when her father, KCR, received notices related to the Kaleshwaram probe, no plan of action was set up.
“When KCR is given notices, there is no action plan. Instead of teaching me, tell me what is your [KTR] action plan. Twitter tweets are not enough. Shouldn’t we be on the ground?” Kavitha said.
Kavitha said she offered to resign from the MLC post when she was arrested in the money laundering case. However KCR said it was not required. She also accused some party leaders’ role in getting her defeated in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Nizamabad segment.
Kavitha to launch new party?
The New Indian Express claimed that Kavitha had also hinted at a major announcement before Telangana Formation Day on June 2.
Amid speculation about forming a new party, Kavitha said, “Why should I deny the possibility? No one knows what the future holds. No one can send me out of BRS.”
The report claimed that K Kavitha is planning to set up a new camp office near her residence.er new office is expected to be set up in front of her residence.
She said the BRS would move ahead under KCR’s leadership and the party would flourish for long if the “small defects” within the party are corrected and the leaders who covertly help other parties are removed.
