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The rift within the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the family of party president and former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao came to fore once again with his daughter and MLC K Kavitha questioning the election of honorary president of the Telangana Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham, a trade union of coal mine workers, when she is in the United States on a personal visit.
Former Minister Koppula Eashwar was elected as the honorary president of the Telangana Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham (TBGKS) on Wednesday, August 20, replacing Kavitha. The coal workers’ union is affiliated with the BRS.
He was reportedly elected with the blessings of K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and his son and BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR).
Kavitha has questioned the validity of the election held at the BRS office, Telangana Bhavan.
In a letter addressed to TBGKS, she alleged that the election was held at a political party's office in violation of labour laws.
Kavitha had been heading TBGKS as honorary president for the last decade.
TBGKS is considered a strong force among the employees of state-owned Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) and played a key role in the Telangana agitation.
Kavitha, who is the president of Telangana Jagruthi, seen as the cultural arm of BRS, alleged that she was being targeted for demanding that those behind the leak of her letter to KCR be exposed.
The BRS MLC said while she had been fighting for the Singareni employees, conspiracies were being hatched against her. She alleged that the election was held for political reasons.
Kavitha alleged that certain vested interests were trying to weaken the unity of Singareni workers.
Kavitha claimed that while she was fighting with the Congress government for workers' welfare, some conspirators targeted her with personal vendetta.
Thanking the Singareni workers for their support, she recalled that she was unanimously elected as the honorary president of TBGKS at a General Body meeting in Kothagudem on August 17, 2015, in the presence of over 1,000 members and key union leaders.
She claimed that during her tenure, she worked like their sister in securing welfare measures, including reinstating dependent jobs, free electricity in workers’ quarters, and fee reimbursement for Singareni employees’ children who secured seats in IITs and IIMs.
Kavitha claimed that she persuaded then Chief Minister KCR to restore compassionate appointments in Singareni, paving the way for 19,463 youths to secure jobs.
In May, a letter written by Kavitha to her father, hinting at internal issues, had leaked when she was on a visit to the US.
On her return, she alleged that some conspiracies were being hatched in the party and remarked that KCR is like a god but is surrounded by some devils.
In what was seen as an attack on her brother KTR, Kavitha had also stated that she would work only under the leadership of her father.