Former Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha, who quit the party led by her father and ex-Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao or KCR amid discord within the political family last September, has announced that she is going to float her own party in May.
Kavitha, who has built up her own political identity and grassroots-level connections during her stints as the Nizamabad MP and later as an MLC, has lately been leading protests against the A Revanth Reddy-led Congress government under the banner of her NGO, Telangana Jagruthi, which she founded in 2006.
In an interview with The Indian Express, Kavitha speaks on a range of issues, including her proposed party and its future roadmap. Excerpts:
* What agenda or ideology will your political party be centred on?
The point here is that we (Telangana Jagruthi) have appointed about 50 committees to look into aspects that have not been addressed in Telangana so far. The committees are working on the agenda. But what I can tell you is that the motherboard of the upcoming party will be Telangana and the ideology of Telangana.
The identity of Telangana was one of the major issues that all of us fought for. Post the formation of the state, we have seen those who fought for Telangana were sidelined, the issues and demands on which the Telangana agitation was fought were not addressed after the formation of the state. We will be focusing on those issues mainly.
I can say that in the Chhattisgarh movement, when people fought for a separate Chhattisgarh state, the people who were at the forefront of that fight were given many special privileges. Nothing of that sort happened in Telangana. People who fought for Telangana are very disappointed. Those are the issues we will be taking up. The BRS did not give any special schemes for them and the Congress promised and failed to deliver. So again, I say that the motherboard of the party will be Telangana, its ideology of social justice and equity. Equal distribution of power and schemes.
* If you launch a party, what will be the future of Telangana Jagruthi?
We are all contemplating this. The committees I told you about are concentrating also on the future of Jagruthi. One of the committees will seriously look at the transition phase. But we are still debating and will take the majority opinion because Jagruthi has cadre strength across Telangana – in every village, every town of Telangana. We will take the majority opinion.
* What is the primary agenda of these committees?
So, all these committees we have floated will look into people’s issues and organisational issues. For example, we will also have a national affairs committee that will keep telling the state body what’s happening across the country which will impact the state and the state’s growth.
We want to concentrate on how the rest of India works. We will even look at how the Opposition INDIA bloc is working. Based on all this, we will create an agenda and announce it on the day of the launch.
We are doing some serious homework. We are reading Budget documents starting from the undivided Andhra Pradesh days till date to find out what areas have been grossly neglected… There are many aspirations we have as people, in terms of basic amenities like health and education, which will all be taken into consideration before the launch of the party.
* But even before launching the party, you have announced which Assembly seat you will contest from. Is this a challenge to the BRS?
There are favourite constituencies for everybody. My mother-in-law’s native place is Nizamabad and my father’s is Siddipet. Ultimately, however, any decisions about me contesting should ideally be taken by the party. But my preferred place for contesting is either Bodhan or Siddipet. I will contest from anywhere to win Telangana people’s hearts.
* Do you think you have a voter base of your own or will you be cutting into the BRS’s votes?
After looking at the hung verdict of the recent urban local body elections in many places – 30 to 40 municipalities – we have seen crazy alliances in municipalities, between the Congress and BJP, and the BRS and BJP. That means the voter is not happy with the Congress or with the Opposition right now. The Congress, of course, captured power in most municipalities, by misusing power.
As of now, we (Telangana Jagruthi) have been questioning the government as any principal Opposition would. You do not see the BRS or BJP on the ground. If they are on the ground, the mandate wouldn’t have been so fractured. So if a political party with Telangana as its ideal comes in, the people of Telangana will surely bless me with their love.
* Do you believe the people of Telangana will back you?
I was one of the people at the forefront of the Telangana agitation. The cultural movement was not small. We made sure that Telangana women were active in the movement. I believe the people who fought for Telangana will resonate with what I have to say. People who were born after the formation of Telangana will resonate with the development ideologies I present to them. On the whole, I believe we will be able to make a serious foray into Telangana politics.
* Do you have the blessings of your father KCR?
They threw me out of the party (BRS). Personally, I would like to carry on the relationship with them (her mother and KCR), but politically we are miles apart.
* What about your brother and BRS working president K T Rama Rao or KTR?
We have not been in communication.
* If you win enough seats in the 2028 Assembly polls, would you form an alliance with any parties?
If I can work the way I want to, based on the blueprint I have, I am very confident that we will be able to form the government. There is no question of alliances right now.
* Will your party’s first electoral contest be in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections?
Yes, we will be contesting the GHMC elections. By the time GHMC elections are announced, I hope we will get our symbol and field candidates on that symbol.