(Image source from: Economictimes.indiatimes.com)
Telangana politician K Kavitha has been removed from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, a party led by her father and former Chief Minister, K Chandrashekar Rao, after she publicly accused her relative, senior BRS member T Harish Rao, of being involved in the federal scrutiny targeting KCR, as her father is known. On Tuesday afternoon, BRS officials T Ravinder Rao and Soma Bharat Kumar stated that action was taken against K Kavitha due to recent remarks viewed as "against the party." The party announced on X that the leadership is treating this issue seriously, as the recent actions and ongoing anti-party conduct of MLC K Kavitha are harming the BRS. Thus, party President K Chandrasekhar Rao has chosen to suspend K Kavitha right away.
On Monday, Ms Kavitha claimed that Harish Rao, who served as the Irrigation Minister when the BRS was in power back in 2014, and former Rajya Sabha MP J Santosh Kumar were working together with the current Chief Minister, Congress' A Revanth Reddy, to gain wealth and damage KCR's reputation. She mentioned that it is important to consider why KCR is facing allegations of corruption, pointing out that some people close to him gained much by exploiting his name. She questioned whether Harish Rao, who held the irrigation position for five years, was not significantly involved in this, stating this is why he did not remain in that role during KCR's second term. She also reported that Revanth Reddy is 'protecting' Harish Rao and Santosh Kumar, suggesting they were working together to attack KCR. Ms Kavitha expressed that her father would come out 'as pure as a pearl' from the CBI investigation and shared that it pains her, as his daughter, to see him suffer through this situation.
K Kavitha made her claims a day after the Congress-led government in Telangana assigned the CBI to investigate alleged misconduct related to the Kaleshwaram project. Notably, BRS Working President KT Rama Rao, who is Ms Kavitha's brother, took that day to commend Mr Rao, referring to his discussion regarding the PC Ghose Commission Report—focused on scrutinizing irregularities in the design and building of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project—as a 'master class.'
K Kavitha's connection with her father's party has been troubled for a while. In July, KTR seemed to marginalize Ms Kavitha when he appointed Koppula Eashwar as the party's head for an important coal miners' union. K Kavitha had been the Honorary President of that union, and this choice rekindled rumors about the power struggle between KTR and Kavitha within the party. The internal clash within the BRS surfaced again in May when K Kavitha reacted negatively to a private letter she wrote to her father, KCR, being leaked, allegedly by someone close to her brother.
In the letter, she mentioned that there were 'schemes' being planned within the BRS against KCR. When asked who could be behind these 'schemes', she replied, "KCR ji is like a god. However, there are some bad people around him. They are causing a lot of harm. I am KCR's daughter. If my letter were to be made public, there should be a discussion about what happens to others." Ms. Kavitha later stated that she has "no issues" with KTR. In fact, she expressed that she has a "special bond" with the former state minister and her brother. "I have no problem admitting this... I have mentioned it twice, and I’ll say it again," she said during that special interview, emphasizing the existence of 'self-interests' that are trying to harm her reputation within the BRS.
Previously, she has suggested that political groups often have a male-dominated mindset, and she pointed out that her own party is also guilty of this. This comment was made in relation to the Women’s Reservation Bill, where she acknowledged that the BRS has not provided enough opportunities for women to run for elections.
