While Naidu is rejoicing, KCR is anxious. Ultimately, the solution lies in KCR’s hands. Only he can resolve the leadership tussle between his son and daughter.
Published Jun 01, 2025 | 3:03 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 01, 2025 | 3:03 PM
Chandrababu Naidu, Nara Lokesh, KT Rama Rao, K Chandrashekar Rao, K Kavitha.
Synopsis: While a sibling rivalry between BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter K Kavitha and son KT Rama Rao is simmering in Telangana, TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has anointed his only son, Nara Lokesh, as his political heir.
Given the current political developments in Telangana, the chief minister of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Nara Chandrababu Naidu, is likely feeling relieved and thinking, “Thank goodness, I’m safe.”
During the three-day Mahanadu held by his party this week, Naidu has almost anointed his only son, Lokesh, as his political heir. There has been ongoing speculation for some time that the party reins would eventually be handed over to Lokesh.
During Mahanadu, the party even went as far as invoking the blessings of the late TDP founder and former chief minister NT Rama Rao — who died in 1996 — for Lokesh.
However, this act served more as fodder for mockery on social media than a political masterstroke. It is a well-known fact in journalistic circles that even just hours before his death, NTR had expressed deep animosity towards Naidu in a press conference.
Creating a video using artificial intelligence, making it appear as if NTR praised Naidu’s governance and Lokesh’s capabilities in his voice, ended up backfiring, turning the father-son duo into a subject of ridicule.
Using NTR’s image and name to win votes has become a habit for the party. However, the party led by Naidu today is not the real TDP. In essence, TDP ceased to exist after NTR’s death.
We have seen how other attempts — like the Anna TDP founded by NTR’s son Harikrishna and the NTR TDP carried on by his wife Lakshmi Parvathi — ended in complete failure. Naidu’s party, though using NTR’s name, has only been able to come to power in three elections post-NTR’s death — 1999, 2014, and 2024 — each time through alliances with other parties, not on its merit.
The party lacks intrinsic strength. Even during the recent Mahanadu, despite boasting about having one crore members — a feat no other party in the country claims — Naidu repeatedly emphasised the need for coalition politics, insisting that they must continue as an alliance of three parties and remain united in the upcoming elections.
Any political party should ideally grow independently, gain public approval, come to power, and govern. If a party constantly conveys the idea that it cannot win unless it aligns with others, what respect will the public continue to have for it?
Now, why talk about a party that has folded its hands and retreated from Telangana to another state? Because a succession battle is currently unfolding within a major political party in Telangana.
That is why Naidu might be watching the developments in Telangana and feeling thankful: “Thankfully, I have only one son, and I can peacefully hand over the reins to him.”
Turning to Telangana, many had assumed that BRS leader K Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter Kavitha’s rebellion would be like a storm in a teacup and subside soon. However, developments over the past few days since her return from the US have made it clear that this is not a problem that can be easily resolved.
While Naidu is rejoicing, Chandrashekar Rao — widely known as KCR — is anxious. Ultimately, the solution lies in KCR’s hands. Only he can resolve the leadership tussle between his son and daughter.
He can call Kavitha for a one-on-one discussion — either console her or pull her up if needed. He can instruct his son to stop the aggressive campaigns his supporters are running on social media against her. KCR alone can resolve the sibling rivalry.
The fact that KCR hasn’t acted on suggestions like sending senior leaders like Rajya Sabha member D Damodar Rao and party loyalist Gandra Mohan Rao to talk to Kavitha shows he isn’t taking the issue seriously. Kavitha has raised issues that cannot be resolved through such intermediaries. The party leader himself needs to step in, but he hasn’t.
Meanwhile, KTR’s supporters aggressively projecting him as the rightful and capable heir is only causing more damage to the party, creating further unrest among party sympathisers.
Had Kavitha’s letter, written on May 2, not leaked after 20 days, we wouldn’t know its full impact. Whoever leaked it might have hoped for gains, but it only led to damage. The leak exposed Kavitha completely. Many expected her to deny authorship of the letter, but instead, she demanded action against those who leaked it.
Not stopping there, Kavitha went on to announce a new organisation called Singareni Jagruthi—a rival to the BRS-affiliated Telangana Coal Mine Workers Union she had earlier established—to work among Singareni workers. She appointed coordinators in all divisions. No matter how she frames it publicly, this is clearly a challenge to the party.
On Friday, 30 May, she toured two districts in North Telangana and expressed strong dissent. While saying she hasn’t left the party and will never leave it, and that KCR is still her leader, on Saturday, she inaugurated an office for Jagruthi near her residence — sending a clear signal that she has no plans to return to the official BRS headquarters, Telangana Bhavan. Or, perhaps, the so-called “demons” (internal rivals) have barred her from entering it, forcing her to open a separate office?
Kavitha is openly stating that some individuals in the party are trying to merge BRS with the BJP and that she firmly opposes it. She claims that such a merger proposal was brought to her even while she was in jail and that she rejected it outright. But if KCR were indeed serious about dissolving the party and merging it into the BJP or another party, would he stop simply because Kavitha objected?
Kavitha’s anger toward the BJP is understandable. The central investigative agencies, acting under the NDA government led by the BJP, named her in the liquor scam and kept her in judicial remand for six months. Naturally, she’s furious.
Would KCR or any senior leader of the BRS seriously consider merging a party that has evolved over 24 years — from a movement to a major political force that has won two mandates — into a national party so lightly?
If TRS (former name of BRS) had been merged with the Congress in 2014 after Telangana’s formation was announced in Parliament, that would have been a different matter. KCR did talk about it back then. But afterwards, there has been no indication that he considered any such move, nor was there any need.
Then why are there recurring discussions about BRS being merged with the BJP? There could be a reason behind such speculation. After losing power, some BRS leaders, including Kavitha, have become entangled in central agency investigations. That might be the reason.
Whether these cases are genuine or not, and whether they’ll be proven, no one can say for certain. We’ve seen how ruling parties use cases against their political opponents.
In the case of BRS, Kavitha has already served time in jail in the liquor scam case. The Anti-Corruption Bureau is currently investigating her brother KT Rama Rao (KTR), and the Enforcement Directorate is also probing him in the same case. Even party chief KCR has received a notice from the commission investigating irregularities in the Kaleshwaram project.
With all this happening, there’s widespread speculation that the leadership might be thinking of merging with the BJP for protection. But if that’s true, why is Kavitha striking a discordant note — especially when she is the one who has suffered most due to central agency actions?
Whatever the case may be, while KCR and another senior, trusted leader, T Harish Ra,o are reportedly preparing arguments to present before the Kaleshwaram Commission, Kavitha is planning to hold a protest on 4 June near Indira Park in Hyderabad, objecting to the notice issued to her father.
Now, will her rivals within the party, who have made sure no one accompanies her on district tours or other programmes, also prevent party members from joining her protest? Kavitha is still officially a BRS MLC. Will this protest be conducted under the party’s banner, or in the name of Telangana Jagruthi? We’ll have to wait and see.
While inaugurating the new office on Saturday, Kavitha touched on several issues and said that Jagruthi would fight for all of them. Does that mean the party under KCR’s leadership has become so weakened and spineless that “ghosts” have taken control?
On one side, there are speculations that Kavitha is on the verge of being expelled from the party; on the other, there are rumours that she is working to launch her own party. Is Telangana Jagruthi about to become Kavitha’s new political party? If that happens, we’ll have to see which national party — Congress or BJP — ends up benefiting.
(Views expressed are personal. Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
