Former BRS MP and MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha. (File Photo)
Announcing a new entrant in the political landscape of Telangana, former BRS MP and MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha launched her party Telangana Rashtra Sena (TRS) Saturday morning. Kavitha is the daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) supremo K Chandrashekar Rao.
She quit the BRS party seven months ago, over differences with her brother and BRS working president K Taraka Rama Rao who is often projected as the political heir of Chandrashekar Rao.
The party’s name echoes the former name of Bharath Rashtra Samithi which was once called Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).
As she launched the party, her X handle which has 1.3 million followers came alive, posting, “Remember the name: Telangana Rashtra Sena. We refuse to back down, come what may; It is time the people of Telangana have their say. We will not let our aspirations decay; Be reduced to ashes if you dare come in our way. Your time is done, our time is now.
On Saturday, Kavitha started the day with a private puja at her residence in Hyderabad. She then travelled to Gunpark to pay floral tributes to martyrs at the Telangana martyrs memorial. At a convention centre in Munirabad, of medchal mandal in Telangana, about 50 kilometers from Hyderabad, Telangana folk songs played and dancers grooved to the fast beats.
As Kavitha has hopes to carve a space for herself as a woman leader in a male dominated political landscape, those who surrounded her were women of different backgrounds – from ST Lambadas to Muslim women in hijab. The launch started with a reminder that Kavitha has been part of the Telangana agitation for decades. A video played of Kavitha participating in Telangana agitation which had peaked in 2009, as she seated herself confidently among her party workers.
Kavitha made it clear that she will be wooing the BRS vote base, even as she launched a scathing attack on her father K Chandhrashekar Rao and the incumbent Congress government led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. “KCR (as Rao is popularly known) has changed and is no longer the leader he was before,” said Kavitha. “This is not our KCR but a un KCR,” she said. She pointed out that KCR has not been appearing in public and “has not been attending to any of the people’s issues”.
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Speaking at the launch, Kavitha said that she will be focusing on five points – (Vidya) Education, (Vaidyam) Healthcare, (Vyavasayam) agriculture, (Vyaparam) entrepreneurship and (Samajika Nyayam) Social Justice for the people of the state.
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