Raising a banner of revolt against Bharat Rashtra Samithi led by former Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), his daughter and state legislative council member Kalvakuntla Kavitha on Thursday alleged that there is a conspiracy to merge the BRS with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In a meeting with reporters at her residence, Kavitha made serious charges against the party leadership, particularly targeting her brother KT Rama Rao (KTR), the working president of the party.
She said efforts were underway to merge the BRS with the BJP. “Even while I was in jail, proposals were made to merge with the BJP. I told my father not to take hasty decisions and merge the BRS with the BJP. I said I was prepared to be in jail not just for six months, but even for years, if necessary,” she said.
Her reference is to the period between March and August 2024 when she was in jail in connection with her alleged involvement in the Delhi excise policy case. She was released after the Supreme Court granted her bail.
The fight between the siblings emerged in the open last week when a letter written by Kavitha to KCR on May 2 was leaked. On Friday night, when asked about the controversy caused by the letter in which she seemed to be accusing KCR of going soft on the BJP, she said her father was like “God” but “ surrounded by some demons”. “There is only one leader for Telangana and that is KCR,” he added. “But, he is surrounded by covert operatives.”
Her comments were seen to be targeting KTR.
On Thursday, Kavitha expressed surprise at the letter being leaked. “I already expressed anguish over the deliberate leakage of my confidential letter to my father and said there was a conspiracy going on in the party against me,” she said.
She claimed she has been writing letters to KCR for the past 25 years.
Making an indirect reference to her brother KTR,she added: “Why are stories are being planted against me on social media making inappropriate comments against me? How can they allow such stories to be carried about their own family member. I deserve respect both as a woman and as a political figure.”
Kavitha advised her critics within the BRS to focus on Telangana’s welfare rather than targeting her personally.
Challenging KTR, she said, “If you have the courage, show your aggression towards chief minister A Revanth Reddy and the BJP, who issued notices to KCR (for questioning in Kaleshwaram project scam), instead of targeting me.”
She warned BRS leaders that she is not someone to be taken lightly: “If I begin to speak openly, you won’t be able to handle it.”
Kavitha also strongly denied claims that she tried to join Congress, calling it a blatant lie. “The Congress is a sinking ship. Why should I join that party?”
Kavitha recalled that when she was heading to jail, she had offered to resign from the party and her post, but KCR asked her not to. She also alleged that her party’s MLAs were responsible for her defeat in the Nizamabad MP elections.
Reaffirming her loyalty, Kavitha said, “My party is BRS, and my leader is KCR. Apart from KCR, I will not work under anyone else’s leadership.”
