Instead of replying to a query on the "demons" Kavitha had mentioned, KTR drew attentions to the ED naming Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy in the National Herald case.
Published May 24, 2025 | 2:08 PM ⚊ Updated May 24, 2025 | 2:08 PM
From left: File photos of KT Rama Rao, K Chandrashekar Rao, and K Kavitha. (Supplied)
Synopsis: Downplaying K Kavitha’s letter to KCR, KT Rama Rao said anyone in the BRS’s democratic setup was free to write to any party leader, but added that such issues should be discussed only in party forums.
BRS Working President KT Rama Rao on Saturday, 24 May, sought to downplay his sister and MLC Kavitha Kalvakuntla’s controversial statement that certain “demons” were influencing their father and party chief K Chandrashekar Rao.
Kavitha’s letter implied that those unnamed forces — “demons” — were targeting her within the party.
Responding to media queries on Kavitha’s statements and the party’s internal issues at Telangana Bhavan, KTR attempted to divert the focus to the National Herald scam and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s alleged involvement in it.
The Enforcement Directorate had mentioned Revanth Reddy’s name in its chargesheet. The chief minister is not an accused in the case.
KTR seemed uncomfortable when pressed for an answer to whom Kavitha might have been referring when she said there were demons around her father. He suggested that Revanth Reddy might have planted moles within the party, but avoided giving a direct answer.
Kavitha, who returned from the United States on Friday, 23 May, confirmed the authenticity of a six-page letter circulating on social media. In the letter, she voiced concerns over the challenges faced by the party and the need to overcome them.
Referring to KCR as “God,” she expressed dismay that he was surrounded by “demons,” a statement that sparked intense speculation about who these covert forces might be. Kavitha questioned how such a confidential letter had been leaked, hinting at internal sabotage and raising alarms about the fate of other party members.
When asked why Kavitha chose to communicate through a letter rather than speaking directly to KCR, KTR defended the BRS as a “democratic” party that encourages suggestions from all levels. He said that anyone could write to the party president or offer feedback, citing recent constituency-wise meetings held in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections as examples of internal consultation.
“There is nothing wrong with writing to the party president. Everyone has that freedom,” he said. “But it’s inappropriate to make such issues public. They should be discussed in party forums, regardless of one’s position.”
KTR declined to comment on how the letter was leaked, a key issue that remains unresolved. His silence left lingering questions: Why did Kavitha not discuss her concerns directly with her father? Was the letter leaked from her own office or KCR’s farmhouse? And if so, what was the motive behind it?
Speculation is rife that the letter was an attempt to press for a more significant role for Kavitha within the party, potentially one equal to or surpassing her brother’s part.
Kavitha’s recent remarks criticising the BRS’s 10-year rule for failing to achieve “Samajika Telangana” (social justice for all sections) were interpreted as a subtle push for greater recognition for her within the party. Even before her US trip, she had hinted at forces within the party attempting to sideline her.
Sources said that since her release from jail in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case, Kavitha has been trying to reassert her presence within the BRS. Feeling sidelined, she has taken up the cause of Backward Classes (BCs), first by demanding that a statue of Jyotiba Phule be installed on the Assembly premises—a proposal that saw little traction—and later by calling for BC reservations in proportion to their population.
Her recent tour of several districts in Telangana was widely seen as a show of strength and an attempt to mobilise her support base within the party.
The letter to KCR is also seen as a protest against her perceived marginalisation during the BRS’s silver jubilee celebrations held on 27 April in Elkaturthy, Hanamkonda district. Kavitha’s independent outreach is viewed as an effort to establish herself as a parallel power center within the party—or even to explore an independent political path if necessary. Her district tours received minimal support from senior BRS leaders, signaling limited backing within the party’s ranks.
Upon her return to Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Friday night, Kavitha was welcomed by a large group of supporters carrying placards and banners promoting her “Samajika Telangana” slogan.
However, the conspicuous absence of BRS flags, cadres, and prominent leaders at the reception indicated a growing distance between her and the party establishment. Sources indicated that many leaders are reluctant to associate with her publicly following the leak of her letter, fearing potential consequences from the party’s top leadership.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
