Kavitha now faces the daunting task of rebuilding her political career outside the BRS. Some speculate she may revive Telangana Jagruthi as her political platform or explore alliances with other parties.
Published Sep 03, 2025 | 5:29 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 03, 2025 | 5:29 PM
Kalvakuntla Kavitha now finds herself on an uncertain path, forced to chart her own course in an unforgiving political landscape. (Gskumar999/Creative Commons)
Synopsis: K Kavitha has vowed not to quit politics. Whether she can convert her marginalisation into an independent political identity or remain confined to the shadows of a family feud will shape not only her own future but also the trajectory of the BRS, once the unchallenged force of Telangana.
Kalvakuntla Kavitha’s resignation from the Legislative Council and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Wednesday, 3 September, marks the culmination of her long and turbulent journey.
Once one of the prominent faces of the Telangana movement and a rightful claimant to her father K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR)’s legacy, Kavitha now finds herself on an uncertain path, forced to chart her own course in an unforgiving political landscape.
Kavitha signalled defiance and disappointment at her emotional press conference in Hyderabad on Wednesday. The determination in her voice was evident when Kavitha said she would not surrender to discrimination within the party.
For years, she had waited for her position in the BRS to improve. But when it became clear that there was no space for her, she made her move, writing a letter to KCR soon after the BRS silver jubilee celebrations — an event in which only KCR spoke.
Kavitha might never have written that letter if she had been treated on par with her brother KT Rama Rao (KTR) or cousin T Harish Rao, whom she derisively referred to as “anacondas of corruption” and “whales of corruption.” The letter, however, was leaked soon after.
Though Kavitha denied having any role in the leak, she suspects those opposed to her rise in the party deliberately released it to damage her standing. That leak triggered a chain of events that gradually isolated her from the BRS leadership.
Even before the letter, Kavitha had dropped subtle hints that all was not well within the party. Her statement that she wanted to fight for Samajika Telangana—a more socially just Telangana—was seen as a turning point in her relationship with her father. She went further, pointing out that though the BRS was in power for 10 years, the dream of Samajika Telangana remained unfulfilled.
Kavitha’s disenchantment contrasts sharply with her earlier role in the party and the Telangana struggle. After the formation of the state in 2014 and BRS’s sweeping victory in the polls, she became one of the pillars of the party.
As MP from Nizamabad, she left a mark in Parliament, effectively voicing Telangana’s concerns in both Hindi and English. Her organisation, Telangana Jagruthi, played a critical role in mobilising people through cultural programmes and was instrumental in giving the statehood movement the momentum that it needed.
Her career suffered a severe blow in the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Nizamabad, when BJP’s Dharmapuri Arvind defeated her. Analysts felt that her inability to secure the long-demanded Turmeric Board was one of the reasons for her defeat.
After the defeat, she retreated from public life for some time before regaining her footing by contesting the 2020 MLC by-election from Nizamabad, which she won. She was re-elected to the Council in 2022.
Despite this comeback, Kavitha never regained her earlier prominence. Unlike her father or brother, who were rooted in Hyderabad politics, she remained tied to Nizamabad, her in-laws’ district. Even after becoming an MLC, she was denied a cabinet berth.
Her supporters argued that her marginalisation was not due to her 2019 defeat, but more of an internal effort to keep her from gaining importance. They point out that even KCR himself lost from Kamareddy in 2023, yet his defeat did not tarnish his political status. In contrast, her 2019 loss seemed to stick with her permanently.
Her woes multiplied when the CBI and ED launched investigations against her in the Delhi liquor policy case in 2023. Summoned several times, she became a liability in the eyes of the party.
On 14 March 2024, she was arrested and lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. The BRS’s humiliating defeat in the May 2024 Lok Sabha elections—where it failed to win a single seat in Telangana—was partly attributed to the damage caused by her arrest.
After spending more than five months in prison, she was released on 27 August 2024. By then, her marginalisation within the BRS was complete. Party insiders openly blamed her legal troubles for their electoral debacle.
Kavitha, as the daughter of the party’s founder, had long demanded her share of recognition. She believed she had as much claim to KCR’s political legacy as her brother KTR. In her view, her exclusion was orchestrated by her cousin Harish Rao, whom she accused of blocking her rise.
Her pent-up frustration spilled into the open when she accused party leaders of surrounding her father and tainting his name through corruption in the Kaleshwaram project. She maintained that while KCR intended to bring prosperity to Telangana, others had exploited the project for personal gain.
Adding to her humiliation, in July 2025, she was replaced as honorary president of the Telangana Boggu Ghani Karmika Sangham (TBGKS) by former minister Koppula Eshwar—a post that symbolised her influence among workers.
Party sources pointed to KCR’s clear preference for KTR as the heir apparent. Harish Rao, too, openly endorsed KTR’s leadership.
Analysts are viewing Kavitha’s struggle as not just a family dispute but also a reflection of the challenges faced by women in Indian politics. Despite her long involvement since 2006, her role was consistently overshadowed by male relatives.
Her advocacy for women’s rights, including her push for the Women’s Reservation Bill, did not shield her from the patriarchal structures of her party. Even while suspending her, no attempt was made to hear her. Her story underscored how dynastic politics often disadvantage women, even when they are part of the family.
Kavitha now faces the daunting task of rebuilding her political career outside the BRS. Some speculate she may revive Telangana Jagruthi as her political platform or explore alliances with other parties.
For the BRS, her exit has exposed deep vulnerabilities. The party, already weakened after its electoral collapse, is now torn by succession struggles, corruption allegations, and the perceived loss of public trust. The sidelining of Kavitha — a founding leader’s daughter and one of the few prominent women in Telangana politics — may have further dented its image.
Kavitha has vowed not to quit politics. Whether she can convert her marginalisation into an independent political identity or remain confined to the shadows of a family feud will shape not only her own future but also the trajectory of the BRS, once the unchallenged force of Telangana.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
