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In a significant political development, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party on Tuesday, September 2, suspended MLC K Kavitha from the party for alleged ‘anti party activities’. Kavitha is the daughter of BRS chief and former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
A statement issued by the BRS read, “The party leadership is taking the matter seriously as the recent behaviour and anti-party activities of MLC Kavitha are damaging to the party.”
It further read: “The recent behaviour of party MLC K Kavitha, her ongoing anti-party activities are damaging to the BRS. The party headquarters has taken a serious view of this matter. Party president K Chandrasekhar Rao has decided to immediately suspend K Kavitha from the party.”
Earlier in the day, BRS working president KT Rama Rao reportedly met the party’s founder and patriarch KCR, complaining about Kavitha’s increasing attack against the party’s leaders which is allegedly causing divisions within the party.
The decision to suspend her was taken a day after Kavitha attacked her cousins, former Minister T Harish Rao and former MP Joginapally Santosh Kumar, alleging that they were responsible for the corruption allegations against KCR in the Kaleshwaram project.
On Monday, September 1, the Revanth Reddy government decided to hand over the Kaleshwaram case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Responding to this move, Kavitha said that her father and former CM KCR was made a “scapegoat” in the Kaleshwaram controversy. She alleged that her cousin and former Irrigation Minister Harish Rao was the one responsible for the allegations leveled against KCR. She suggested that Harish Rao was removed as the Irrigation Minister in the second-term of the BRS due to his alleged irregularities.
She alleged that former MP Joginapally Santosh Kumar and contractor PV Krishna Reddy of Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd worked for their own benefit and amassed wealth.
Kavitha’s suspension came amid an already widening rift within the family.
Three months ago, an internal letter written by her to KCR was leaked on May 22.
In the six-page handwritten letter, Kavitha had given feedback to her father on his speech at the party’s 25th foundation day event held in Warangal on April 27. She said that KCR could’ve been more critical of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying that going soft on the party could fuel speculation of a possible alliance between BRS and BJP.
Blaming ‘covert elements’ surrounding KCR for the leak, Kavitha had alleged there was a conspiracy within the party to sideline her and distance her from KCR. Kavitha had remarked that KCR was a ‘god’ surrounded by ‘devils’. She hinted that a former MP and a prominent leader in the party were responsible for the leak, appearing to point fingers at Joginapally Santosh Kumar and others without naming anyone.
A few days later on May 29, Kavitha alleged that senior leaders with BRS had tried to merge the party with BJP, which she said she opposed even when jailed in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case.
In an informal media interaction, Kavitha reportedly criticised her brother, BRS working president KT Rama Rao, for not speaking up in her support amid the ongoing conflict and social media attacks against her.
In August, Kavitha alleged that some BRS leaders were orchestrating a hate campaign against her through Teenmaar Mallanna, an MLC and suspended Congress leader.
She insinuated that former minister and Suryapet MLA G Jagadish Reddy was behind the conspiracy, calling him a “Lilliput” in a dig at his short stature without explicitly naming him. She questioned why BRS leaders remained silent on the issue when she was subjected to abuse.
More recently, she alleged that there was conspiracy in ousting her as honorary president of the Telangana Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham (TBGKS), a trade union of coal mine workers, when she was in the United States on a personal visit. She questioned the validity of the election held at the BRS office, Telangana Bhavan, won by former Minister Koppula Eashwar. He was reportedly elected with the blessings of KCR and KTR.
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.