Telangana Rakshana Sena chief Kalvakuntla Kavitha on Saturday accused the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi government, led by her father K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), of causing long-term damage to the state through its policies.
Speaking at a ‘Meet the Press’ event in Hyderabad, Kavitha alleged that improper use of the water of Krishna and Godavari rivers during the BRS led to $Loss of 2.5 million crores to farmers
The BRS government has spent $“Rs 1.21 lakh crore on irrigation during the project duration of one year, but it can supply water to only one acre,” she added.
Regarding unemployment, she questioned the repeated leaks of examination papers during the BRS system. “Why did such lapses occur despite having a capable minister like KT Rama Rao at the helm of affairs? These failures have adversely affected two generations of youth, many of whom have lost crucial career opportunities,” she said.
Responding to a question, Kavitha said that her differences with her father KCR were purely political. “I don’t have any issues with my family but obviously I maintain an ideological difference with KCR in his role as a political leader. If he makes political mistakes, I will definitely criticize him. Likewise, I am open to criticism if I make mistakes,” she asserted.
Explaining the strategy behind her new political outfit, Kavitha said that multiple names were deliberately put forward to counter “conspiracies” during the registration process. While ‘Telangana Rakshana Sena’ was her third choice, the Election Commission approved the name ‘TRS’, which she described as a ‘divine decision’.
She also accused rival parties of a sharp reaction to her political entry. Targeting the BJP, she alleged that it opposed social justice and criticized its handling of legislation relating to backward classes and women. She challenged the BJP leaders to focus on securing benefits and funds for Telangana rather than criticizing it.
Kavitha was equally critical of the Congress, holding it responsible for Telangana’s historical backwardness. She made it clear that she is not seeking an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party or Congress.
Referring to her time in the BRS, she said she raised her concerns internally with evidence but was constrained by party discipline. She admitted that she should have spoken out more forcefully on issues related to activists, families of martyrs and displaced people, and publicly apologized for not doing enough.
She also expressed surprise that she was suspended from the BRS without prior notice, and compared it to the issuance of show-cause notices to other leaders facing allegations.
Kavitha stressed that there are no budget constraints to implement her proposed ‘Panchaganyam’ – a five-point policy framework.
She said governance should be guided by a “mother-like approach”, with social care sectors being prioritized, and criticized the current administration for its lack of intent. She announced that her party would reserve at least 33% of seats for women, with the possibility of increasing it to 50%, and stressed that women’s leadership should not be questioned, citing leaders such as Indira Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, J Jayalalithaa and Mayawati as examples of effective governance. She warned that parties that ignore public aspirations will fade away and predicted that Telangana will be at “revolution point”.
BRS, BJP and Congress have not given a response to Kavitha’s comments till the time of going to press.
