The daughter of BRS chief K. Chandrashekar Rao resigns from the party and her MLC post, a day after her suspension, accusing her cousins of corruption and her brother of abandoning her.
In a dramatic escalation of the internal rift within the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), K. Kavitha on Wednesday tendered her resignation from the party and stepped down as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC). The move comes barely a day after the party suspended her for alleged “anti-party activities,” culminating in a very public and personal airing of the party’s internal grievances.
Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad, Kavitha, the daughter of BRS president and former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), launched a blistering attack on her own family members, alleging that her cousins were responsible for corruption that has ensnared her father.
“The party leadership is taking this matter seriously as the recent behavior and ongoing anti-party activities of party MLC K. Kavitha are damaging the BRS party,” the party had stated in its suspension announcement on Tuesday.
A Family Feud Turns Public
Kavitha’s resignation was not a quiet affair. She directly accused her cousins—senior BRS leader and former minister T. Harish Rao and J. Santosh Kumar—of “amassing assets” and having a “tacit understanding” with current Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to damage KCR’s reputation.
“KCR’s name is getting defamed today because of their misdeeds,” Kavitha told reporters. “We have to think why the taint of corruption came to KCR. Some who are close to KCR have benefited in many ways by making use of his name.”
She specifically linked the allegations to the Congress government’s decision to seek a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Kaleshwaram irrigation project, a flagship initiative of the previous BRS regime. “Did Harish Rao, who was irrigation minister for five years, not have a major role in this?” she questioned.
Brotherhood Betrayed?
Beyond the corruption allegations, Kavitha expressed deep personal disappointment with her brother and BRS working president, K. T. Rama Rao (KTR). She claimed he did not stand by her during a difficult period.
“Ever since my release from Tihar jail, I have been fighting for various causes. My own brother Rama Rao did not stand by me when a malicious campaign was unleashed against me,” she stated.
She also issued a caution to KTR, implying that their cousins were not his well-wishers, a sharp critique of the party’s current leadership dynamics.
The Party’s Stance and the Road Ahead
The BRS’s suspension order, signed by Chief Secretary T. Ravinder Rao on behalf of the party’s disciplinary committee, did not provide specific details on the incidents that triggered the action, only citing her recent behavior.
Kavitha’s recent activities, including holding programs under her ‘Telangana Jagruti’ platform and her critical remarks about party leaders, were seen as a challenge to the party’s unified front, especially after its recent electoral setbacks in the state.
When asked about her future plans, Kavitha stated she has no immediate intention to join another political party. “I’m not joining any party. The future course of action is to be decided after discussions with supporters,” she said.
Her exit and the very public nature of the family feud mark a significant moment of crisis for the BRS, exposing deep internal fractures and raising questions about the party’s direction and unity as it navigates its role as the principal opposition in Telangana.
