Kavitha's ouster: How will it affect BRS? | Capital Beat

In this Capital Beat episode, The Federal spoke to panellists Kurapati Venkat Narayana and Papa Rao D on the suspension of MLC K Kavitha from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the political tremors it has set off in Telangana. The discussion centred on the party’s internal equations, the Kaleshwaram probe, and the implications for the state’s political landscape.

BRS president and former Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) suspended his daughter Kavitha after she publicly targeted senior leaders, including T Harish Rao and J Santosh Kumar, alleging collusion with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy over the Kaleshwaram project controversy. The issue follows the state government’s move to refer aspects of the project to the CBI, alongside proceedings around the Justice PC Ghose Commission report tabled in the Assembly.

Also read: What led to ‘Princess of Telangana’ K Kavitha’s downfall?

Supporters of Kavitha launched protests soon after the announcement. Outside the party, the episode has opened new lines of debate about whether the action marks an inflection point for the BRS, or a contained disciplinary response to an escalating intra-party conflict.

Allegations, counter-allegations

The flashpoint is Kavitha’s recent accusation that Harish and Santosh sided with Revanth, allegedly to damage KCR’s image as the state pressed ahead with steps tied to the Kaleshwaram probe. The matter has moved in courts and the Assembly in recent days, keeping the project and its irregularities in constant public view.

At the centre of the engineering debate is the Medigadda (Lakshmi) Barrage, part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project’s chain of barrages on the Godavari. The barrage’s troubles — and the subsequent technical and administrative scrutiny — have fuelled political sparring between the ruling Congress and BRS.

Also read: Kavitha alleges conspiracy in BRS after being replaced as union chief

Kavitha’s organisational footprint outside government has primarily been through Telangana Jagruthi, the cultural platform she has led since the agitation years. Her supporters, including leaders from the Jagruthi network, voiced dissent against the suspension, framing it as unjust and politically motivated.

‘Internal contest’ vs ‘upsurge for KCR’

Setting the frame, Narayana characterised the churn as a struggle shaped by family power centres within the BRS and the leadership stakes they carry. He argued that competing claims to future leadership — principally involving KT Rama Rao, Harish, and Kavitha — have intensified after the party’s loss of power in Telangana.

“It is an internal family dispute… a contest for the ultimate leadership in the party, and it has contributed to the current crisis,” said Narayana, linking the suspension to prolonged strains within the top ranks.

Also read: KCR is surrounded by devils, says daughter Kavitha

In contrast, Rao projected a markedly different political reading, insisting that the disciplinary action will not dent the party’s prospects and that public sentiment has swung back towards KCR after the Congress assumed office.

“KCR is more popular than ever before in Telangana now… If elections were held today, the BRS could cross 100 of 119 seats,” asserted Rao, arguing that Kavitha’s moves will not replicate the impact that intra-family rifts had in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

Where the suspension leaves the party

On organisational impact, the panellists diverged. Narayana read the decision as a culmination of long-running contradictions that could keep the BRS unsettled, at least in the short term. He said the loss of government has amplified internal rivalries and exposed the party’s vulnerabilities, including the investigations now underway.

Rao, however, maintained that the disciplinary line was both inevitable and timely, contending that Kavitha’s criticism of senior leaders — especially Harish — would have undermined the BRS’s legislative strategy. He cited Harish’s recent combative defence of the party’s position on Kaleshwaram in the Assembly as evidence that the core leadership remains intact and mobilised.

The panel also weighed Kavitha’s individual standing. Narayana argued that her base within the party is limited and unlikely to trigger structural splits. Rao likewise suggested she was never central to electoral messaging in Telangana, pointing to past decisions where KCR did not elevate her to ministerial roles.

Kaleshwaram remains the political arena

Beyond party arithmetic, the debate underscored that the Kaleshwaram case continues to serve as the principal arena for both legal and political manoeuvring. The Assembly’s handling of the Justice Ghose Commission report, the Chief Minister’s announcement of a CBI handover, and subsequent court developments have created a high-frequency news cycle in which the BRS and Congress test their competing narratives.

The barrage failures at Medigadda and the broader system design — from Medigadda to Annaram and Sundilla — remain focal points in the technical discourse. As procedural steps advance, the public conversation is likely to keep toggling between engineering forensics and political accountability.

In that context, Harish’s role — as a former irrigation minister during part of the Kaleshwaram buildout and later finance and health minister — draws heightened attention each time the matter returns to the Assembly or courts. The panellists agreed that his legislative performances are shaping perceptions of the BRS’s resilience.

What next for Kavitha and the cadre

On potential next moves, Narayana anticipated that most party functionaries and cadre would hew to the central leadership. He suggested that even among youth and cultural networks that gravitated to Telangana Jagruthi, the immediate impact may be limited if the BRS leadership enforces party discipline.

Rao, by contrast, cast the episode as an opportunity for the BRS to consolidate. In his view, removing Kavitha from the organisational lattice at this juncture prevents mixed messaging during a period when the party is attempting to reclaim ground through local body polls and sustained Assembly interventions.

Both panellists converged on one point: the principal theatre for the BRS’s near-term recovery is public perception of governance under the Congress, not Kavitha’s individual course. The Kaleshwaram narrative — technical, legal, and political — will likely continue to overshadow personal equations.

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