In an emotional address to the Telangana Legislative Council on Monday, Kalvakuntla Kavitha, president of Telangana Jagruti, formally tendered her resignation as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), marking her official exit from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). Tearfully recounting her two-decade-long political journey, her role in the Telangana statehood movement, and the circumstances that led to her suspension from the BRS, Kavitha expressed her commitment to continue working for the welfare of the state through a new political platform.

Emotional Farewell in the Upper House

Choked with emotion and tears streaming down her face, Kavitha informed the council that she had submitted her resignation in the prescribed format on September 3 last year, a day after her suspension from the BRS, the party led by her father and former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR).

“It is not morally correct to continue in the MLC post which I got from the BRS, as I have severed all ties with the party. I took the decision to resign in a fully conscious state of mind,” she said, requesting council chairman Gutha Sukhender Reddy to formally accept her resignation.

Following her legislative exit, Kavitha visited the Telangana Martyrs’ Memorial at Gun Park, located in front of the state legislature complex, to pay floral tributes to those who sacrificed their lives for Telangana statehood.

Telangana Jagruti to Transform into Political Party

Addressing the media, Kavitha announced plans to convert her cultural and social organisation, Telangana Jagruti, into a full-fledged political party. She stressed that Telangana required a new political alternative ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. “I am coming out soon with an alternative political platform. Telangana needs a political party that genuinely works for the state in the next assembly elections,” she said.

She appealed to like-minded forces, including Left sympathisers, students, unemployed youth, and women, to support her initiative, calling it a mission for the welfare of the people of Telangana.

Political Journey and Role in Statehood Movement

Kavitha detailed her involvement in public life, beginning in 2006 when she entered the Telangana movement inspired by her father KCR and Telangana ideologue late K Jayashankar. “Though my father served as a Union minister, I began my journey independently through Telangana Jagruti platform and organised several programmes to mobilise women and youth in support of Telangana movement,” she recalled.

She highlighted her role in exerting pressure on the then UPA government to grant statehood to Telangana. “After the formation of Telangana state, I never aspired for any posts, but the BRS leadership asked me to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Nizamabad,” she said.

Allegations of Sidelining and Corruption

Kavitha alleged that after Telangana’s formation in 2014, her political freedom was increasingly curtailed within the BRS. Despite continuing to organise cultural events such as Bathukamma celebrations under the Jagruti banner, she claimed she was systematically sidelined and excluded from key state-level decisions.

She further alleged massive corruption in major state projects, including the Secretariat, Ambedkar statue, Amara Jyoti, and collectorate constructions. “Repeated representations regarding corruption by certain public representatives, illegal sand mining, and atrocities on Dalits went unaddressed. I tried to bring them to the notice of KCR, but there was no response,” she said.

Kavitha also opposed the renaming of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) as BRS, questioning the party’s national ambitions: “What can a party which could do little for Telangana in 10 years, do to the nation?”

Legal Battles and Suspension

Kavitha claimed that she was jailed due to political vendetta, left to fight cases against central agencies without party support for three years. She criticised the BRS for suspending her overnight without notice or giving her an opportunity to explain her side. “The party constitution is a joke; it’s hardly an eight-page document. While I could legally challenge the suspension, I chose not to, asserting that I am happy to distance myself from what I consider a party lacking moral credibility,” she said.

Commitment to Telangana Welfare

Despite parting ways with the BRS, Kavitha affirmed that her primary focus would remain on the welfare of Telangana’s people. “Although my path may now be different, my goal remains the same — the welfare of the people of Telangana,” she said, underlining that her new political platform would prioritise state-centric policies and governance.

No Response from BRS

The BRS has not yet responded to Kavitha’s allegations regarding corruption, suspension, or her plans to launch a new political outfit. Her exit marks a significant development in Telangana politics, potentially reshaping electoral dynamics ahead of the next assembly elections.

Kavitha’s decision to form a new party signals her intention to carve an independent political space in the state, distinct from the legacy and influence of her father’s party, while capitalising on her experience and grassroots connect developed over nearly two decades of public service.