Kavitha said neither her father, who was always busy, nor KTR, whom she believed was under Harish Rao’s influence, responded to her concerns.
Published Sep 03, 2025 | 3:02 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 03, 2025 | 3:22 PM
K Kavitha speaking to the media.
Synopsis: Telangana MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha resigned from the Legislative Council and from the primary membership of the BRS. Kavitha said she had not yet decided on her future course of action. She said former minister T Harish Rao and former Rajya Sabha member J Santosh Kumar are forces that were out to break the K Chandrashekar Rao family.
As has been widely expected, Telangana MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha on Wednesday, 3 September, resigned from the Legislative Council and from the primary membership of the BRS.
Her resignation followed her suspension from the party on Tuesday for “anti-party activities.” The suspension letter, issued by the BRS leadership, did not specify the exact charges against her.
Speaking to media persons at her residence in Hyderabad, Kavitha said she had not yet decided on her future course of action.
“There is no hurry. I will first speak with my well-wishers, those who fought for Telangana state, and Telangana Jagruthi activists before taking any decision,” she said. She also ruled out joining another political party, stating, “There is no need for me.”
Kavitha primarily targeted former minister T Harish Rao and former Rajya Sabha member J Santosh Kumar, and called them forces that were out to break the K Chandrashekar Rao family.
Kavitha is the daughter of former chief minister and BRS President Chandrashekar Rao. It is interesting to note that Harish Rao is a nephew of Chandrashekar Rao
She alleged that both leaders had schemed against her for years and finally succeeded in creating rifts within the family. “This was part of Harish Rao’s grand plan, which is now being supervised by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. Harish Rao’s objective is to break our family and destroy the party,” she claimed.
Appealing directly to her brother and former minister KT Rama Rao (KTR), who is the working president of the party, she said, “Ramanna, be wary of these forces. They are out to capture the party after throwing all of us out. They will not stop until the family is completely broken.”
Kavitha described Harish Rao as a “whale of corruption” and expressed regret that her father had come under his influence. “Though KCR (Chandrashekar Rao) is a man of wisdom, he came under Harish Rao’s pressure and suspended me,” she said.
She alleged that all leaders who had left the BRS in the past, including now BJP MP Eatala Rajender, had done so due to Harish Rao’s machinations. “He is corrupt, greedy, power-hungry, and does not want any strong leader to remain in the party. That is why he ensured their exit and now my exit,” she said.
According to her, the decision to suspend her without even seeking an explanation was unjust. “The party hanged me without a hearing. My concern is not for myself, but for KCR, who must always be cautious of Harish Rao’s designs. KTR should also be careful, because he is their next target,” she warned.
Kavitha alleged that Harish Rao had conspired with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy against the BRS. She claimed to have evidence of their meetings and cited one incident where both allegedly travelled together on a flight from Delhi to Hyderabad.
“I dare Harish Rao to deny that he travelled with Revanth Reddy when they hatched a plan to dismantle the BRS by branding KCR and his legacy as corrupt,” she charged.
She added that there were at least seven to eight instances that proved their bond. She also alleged that the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), under Revanth Reddy, used to selectively leak reports of scams linked to Harish Rao but never pursued them, possibly to keep him under control.
“There were reports about milk from Harish Rao’s business being supplied to welfare hostels and about his farmhouse near Ranganayaka Sagar reservoir, but no action was taken. Yet, the same government is filing case after case against KTR,” she pointed out.
On the Kaleshwaram project controversy, Kavitha asserted that her father was not involved in any financial irregularities. “As chief minister, he enunciated the policy decisions. It was the responsibility of the ministers to implement them. In this case, it was Harish Rao, and that is where corruption took place,” she alleged.
She accused Harish Rao of undermining KCR even during the 2018 elections by financing 20–25 independent candidates to weaken the party’s chances. She further alleged that he had attempted to ensure KTR’s defeat in the 2009 Sircilla election by funding his opponent with ₹60 lakh. “He is praised as a six-foot-tall bullet. But that bullet might harm KTR and KCR instead of our political rivals,” she warned.
According to her, the BRS loss in the Dubbaka bypoll and the defeat in the Huzurabad by-election were also engineered by Harish Rao with the intention of weakening the party.
Kavitha also launched a scathing attack on Santosh Kumar. She alleged that his “Green Challenge” initiative was a cover to corner forest land. Under the Haritha Haram scheme, a budget of ₹230 crore was diverted, she claimed, to set up an amusement park involving film celebrities.
She further alleged his involvement in a ₹750 crore villa project at Mokila on Hyderabad’s outskirts, developed by Pochampally Srinivas Reddy in association with Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL).
Fighting back tears, Kavitha recalled her two decades of service to the party. “At 27, I went to my father, cuddling my young son and began working for BRS. Today, I am 47. For 20 years, I have worked tirelessly. As president of Telangana Jagruthi, I campaigned only for BRS. I never sought votes for any other party,” she said.
She explained that all her programmes were designed to strengthen the BRS’s image. “I sought Samajika Telangana, which was KCR’s dream. Is it wrong to fight for social justice? If BRS is a computer, Telangana Jagruthi is its software,” she remarked.
Kavitha also spoke about her work in pushing for 42 percent reservations for BCs, reminding that KCR himself had promised land to Dalits and crafted welfare schemes for BCs.
Kavitha expressed anguish that there was little space for women in the party, accusing Harish Rao and others of perpetuating male dominance. “I am an MLC, the daughter of the party founder, and the sister of the working president. Yet, my anguish went unheard at Telangana Bhavan,” she said.
She added that neither her father, who was always busy, nor KTR, whom she believed was under Harish Rao’s influence, responded to her concerns. “As my brother, KTR, should have called me. But he did not,” she said.
Kavitha also spoke about the confidential letter she had written to her father in April this year with suggestions for reforming the party. “When I was in the US, the letter was leaked. Instead of finding the culprits, the party expelled me without giving me a chance to explain,” she said.
However, she noted that her exit seemed to have emboldened women in the party. “For the first time, I saw five women MLCs sit together at Telangana Bhavan and criticise me openly. It signalled that women are now closer to a situation where they can express themselves and have access to party leadership,” she said.
Kavitha alleged that a “coterie” around KCR was misleading him under the supervision of Revanth Reddy, and reiterated her warning that both her father and KTR must be wary of the dangers posed by Harish Rao and Santosh Kumar.
“I am not at all worried about myself. I have no desire for power. I will return to people and will continue serving them,” she said.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
