K Kavitha quits BRS after suspension, accuses Harish Rao and Santosh of conspiracy

Dubai: K Kavitha, daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), resigned from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Wednesday, a day after being suspended from the party for “anti-party activities,” Indian media reports said.

Her exit marks a new low in the party’s worsening internal crisis, exposing bitter family rivalries and deep fractures in Telangana’s main opposition force.

Speaking at a press conference in Hyderabad, Kavitha declared her resignation from the Legislative Council and the BRS, saying she wanted to protect her father’s legacy rather than cling to positions. “I have no greed for posts. I am resigning from the BRS and submitting my resignation to the Speaker,” she said.

She addressed her brother and BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR), urging him to focus on their father’s health and the party cadre. Kavitha described KCR as her “inspiration,” crediting him with bringing justice to Dalits and backward classes. “‘Bangaru Telangana’ is about the welfare of all sections of society,” she said.

But her conciliatory tone towards KCR was paired with a fierce attack on her cousin and senior leader T Harish Rao, as well as former MP J Santosh Kumar — both of whom she accused of betraying the party and conspiring against her family.

Kavitha alleged that Harish Rao used funds linked to the Kaleshwaram irrigation project to control MLAs and plot against senior leaders like Eatala Rajender and Vijayashanti.

She accused Santosh Kumar of misusing the state’s flagship tree plantation drive, Haritha Haram, for “personal image-building,” manipulating celebrities with the Green Challenge campaign, and backing large villa projects in Mokila.

She also blamed Santosh for a sand lorry accident in Sirisilla where seven youngsters were allegedly tortured by police.

Kavitha warned her father and brother that both men were “people who wish you harm,” urging them to sideline the duo to save the party. “Don’t become a sacrifice to these conspiracies,” she cautioned.

Suspension and rising tensions

On Tuesday evening, the BRS suspended Kavitha, citing her “recent behaviour and ongoing anti-party activities.” This came after weeks of her publicly accusing Harish Rao and Santosh of colluding with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to weaken the party and tarnish KCR with corruption allegations.

Kavitha alleged that Harish Rao had past links with former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy, branding him a “double-shooter, not a troubleshooter.”

She also revived charges that during a Delhi trip, Harish Rao “held Revanth Reddy’s feet,” sowing the seeds of conspiracy against KCR’s family.

Her suspension shocked many within the party, with several women MLAs expressing solidarity. “I have never worked against the interests of Telangana people. I wore the BRS flag while fighting for reservations and opposing Congress policies. How is this anti-party?” she asked.

Kavitha’s exit comes amid multiple challenges for the BRS. The Congress-led Telangana government recently handed over the Kaleshwaram project corruption probe to the CBI, further tightening scrutiny on KCR’s administration.

Adding to the turmoil is Kavitha’s own brush with the law — she spent months in Tihar Jail last year after being arrested in connection with the Delhi liquor policy scam.

Released in August 2024, she had tried to reassert herself within the party, but insiders reportedly moved to curtail her influence, including removing her as honorary president of the Telangana Boggu Ghani Karmika Sangham (TBGKS).

Kavitha claimed this was part of a wider attempt to politically isolate her family and erode her father’s standing. “We have to think about why the taint of corruption came to KCR. Some who are close to him benefited in many ways by misusing his name,” she said.

The episode has also laid bare the personal tensions within the Rao family. Kavitha repeatedly framed her fight as one for KCR and KTR’s survival, accusing their cousin Harish Rao of siding with rivals. “Revanth Reddy should answer why he booked cases only against my father and brother, but not Harish Rao. Harish and Santosh are planning to destroy our family and party,” she declared.

Her remarks echo comments she made in May, when she described her father as a “God surrounded by devils.” On Wednesday, she again urged him to re-examine his advisors, whom she accused of breaking the BRS family for “financial and political interests.”

With her resignation, Kavitha’s political future is uncertain. She has not indicated whether she will float her own party, align with another, or take a temporary step back. What is clear is that her departure, laden with allegations, has plunged the BRS into deeper turmoil at a time when it is already grappling with electoral setbacks, corruption probes, and defections.

For KCR and KTR, the challenge now lies in damage control — managing the fallout of a public family rift while trying to keep the BRS cadre intact. For the Congress in Telangana, the developments present a political opening.

As for Kavitha, her parting words summed up both defiance and disillusionment: “I ask my father to examine the true intentions of those around him. Golden Telangana isn’t when gold is in their houses — it is when all sections of society prosper.”