Launches stinging critique of her own party’s direction

What she said

■  KCR is like a god who is surrounded by some devils.

■  BRS is Sriram Raksha for the Telangana people.

■  On Congress party: Kavitha likened it to a sinking ship, stating that she has nothing more to say about it.

■  Actions of certain party members are aimed at distancing her from her father, KCR, while reaffirming her unwavering support for his leadership.

■   KCR is the only leader she acknowledges within the BRS party and has no interest in following anyone else’s leadership.

■  She remarked that the BRS party is filled with “leaku veerulu,” referring to individuals who unnecessarily leak information.

Why is she miffed?

■  Questioned the party leaders (not KCR) for not coming to her rescue when her name was being maligned on social media and some sections of vernacular papers.

■  Accuses certain BRS leaders of orchestrating her defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Nizamabad and of isolating her within the party since then.

metro india news  I hyderabad

In a dramatic political outburst, BRS MLC K Kavitha on Thursday alleged that there was a clandestine move to merge the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a proposal she said was brought to her while she was in judicial custody during the Delhi liquor policy case. Declaring her staunch opposition, Kavitha said she rejected the idea outright, warning that any such attempt would be a betrayal of Telangana’s self-respect and the spirit of the statehood movement.

Speaking to reporters at her residence in Hyderabad, Kavitha launched a stinging critique of her own party’s direction, alleging that internal forces were still working to hand over the KCR-led BRS to the BJP. “There was pressure on me when I was in jail — to support the merger of BRS with the BJP. I said no then, and I say no now,” she said. “BRS is not a party that can be handed over like property. It is the Sriram Raksha of Telangana.”

Without naming her brother and BRS working president K T Rama Rao directly, Kavitha took a swipe at his ongoing tour of the United States and the United Kingdom. “What exactly are we celebrating in the US? While the people of Telangana face critical issues, where is the leadership on the ground? What are we doing here for the people?” she asked pointedly.

Kavitha’s remarks exposed deep fissures within the BRS, especially over the handling of recent political and legal challenges. She lashed out at the party’s silence during a coordinated media campaign that she claimed targeted her reputation. “When paid social media platforms and a major daily newspaper tried to malign me, no one from the party stood up. The leadership remained mute. Is this how we protect our own, especially the daughter of the party?” she asked emotionally.

The BRS leader also expressed disappointment over the party’s passive response to the judicial commission’s notice to former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao over the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project. “Where are the agitations? Where is the village-level mobilisation that BRS once proudly led?” she demanded, highlighting what she called the party’s eroding political resolve.

Alleging internal sabotage, Kavitha accused certain BRS leaders of orchestrating her defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Nizamabad and of isolating her within the party since then. “There is an internal conspiracy to sideline me and hand over BRS to the BJP. But I will continue to work under KCR’s leadership — not under any other leader,” she said firmly.

Kavitha also raised serious concerns about BJP sympathisers embedded within BRS. “Who inaugurated hospitals run by BJP leaders? Who facilitated their entry into our party? These questions must be answered. If BRS is to survive, it must be protected from within,” she warned, calling for a purge of "BJP coverts" from the party.

She claimed that her personal letter to KCR had been leaked by insiders who pretended to be well-wishers. “The same people who claimed to be KCR’s messengers are now blaming me and my team. The truth is being twisted by those who want to destroy me politically,” she said.

Highlighting her ideological commitment, Kavitha recalled launching Telangana Jagruthi in 2006 during her pregnancy, without financial help from the party. “I never took money from BRS or from KCR. I did not come into politics for posts or positions. My commitment is to Telangana,” she stressed.

On inter-state water sharing issues, she alleged that Andhra Pradesh is pushing for project-based allocations that could severely hurt Telangana’s interests. “AP is acting aggressively. Where is our response? Why is BRS not fighting back?” she questioned, urging for a comprehensive state-level action plan.

Kavitha dismissed allegations that she was in touch with the Congress party, calling them baseless. She asserted that Congress was a sinking ship both at the national and state levels and questioned why she would join such a party. In her statement, she firmly denied any association with Congress and criticized attempts to spread false narratives about her political stance.

Concluding with a passionate appeal, Kavitha called upon the party to plug internal leaks and protect its ideological roots. “If BRS weakens, it’s the BJP and Congress that will gain. My fight is to save Telangana’s soul and the values we stood for,” she said.