HYDERABAD: The verdict delivered by the Rouse Avenue Court, clearing her of all charges in the Delhi excise scam case, has not only come as a major relief for Telangana Jagruthi founder-president Kalvakuntla Kavitha but also boosted her political plans.
The judgment comes at a crucial juncture for the former MLC, who is in an advanced stage of announcing her political party, most likely within the next two months. With this order, she is now free of the taint of the liquor scam that had cast a shadow over her public life.
Political observers described the verdict as a “rebirth” for Kavitha. Her arrest by the Enforcement Directorate, followed by the CBI, marked a difficult phase in her political career. Though she secured bail after spending five-and-a-half months in Tihar Jail, the CBI’s charges had continued to haunt her. The court’s ruling has now cleared that cloud.
The daughter of BRS supremo and former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao is now expected to chart out her political roadmap with renewed confidence.
Sources indicate that she may adopt a more aggressive stance against the BJP, Congress and certain sections within the BRS. She is likely to focus on grassroots outreach and reconnect with people across Telangana.
Dedicated support base
Kavitha retains a dedicated support base from her role in popularising the Bathukamma festival, which she had used effectively during the Telangana statehood movement to mobilise women and foster emotional integration. Within the BRS, the court order has triggered fresh political debate. Some leaders had attributed the party’s debacle in the 2023 Assembly elections to her alleged involvement in the liquor scam.
However, Kavitha has hit back, countering remarks made by BRS working president KT Rama Rao. She argued that the party’s defeat was on account of governance failures during the previous regime and not due to her alleged role in the excise case.
She pointed out that the Assembly elections were held before her arrest, and therefore the argument that her alleged involvement caused the electoral loss did not hold water.
According to her, the previous BRS government had failed to fulfil several promises and had come to be seen as steeped in corruption, which led to voter dissatisfaction.
Sources said that Kavitha is considering launching her party in April, May or on June 2. The court verdict has provided her with moral strength as she prepares for the next phase. She is expected to reach out to BRS legislators and other influential leaders, urging them to join her new platform.
May follow KCR model
A political leader and MP observed that Kavitha is well aware of how her father built the BRS into a formidable force after 2008, when she returned from the United States and joined the Telangana agitation. The MP suggested that she may follow a similar model in building her own organisation from the grassroots.
According to the MP, Kavitha has connections across several national parties, including the Congress, BJP, Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena, NCP and DMK. However, her immediate focus is likely to be on launching her party and attracting like-minded leaders, including those dissatisfied within the BRS.
In the recent municipal elections, Kavitha fielded her followers, who secured a few councillor posts under the banner of All India Forward Bloc. She is now looking ahead to the upcoming MPTC and ZPTC elections, which are expected to be held on party symbols. She is keen to formally launch her party and secure a symbol to contest those polls.
Political observers believe that Kavitha may seek to expose what she calls as a “secret agenda” between the BRS and BJP. She has previously alleged that the BRS had attempted to merge with the BJP. Observers say she is likely to sharpen her attacks on the BRS while positioning herself as a force opposing the BJP and the Congress alike.
With the court having discharged her in the case, the coming days are expected to witness significant political activity in Telangana. How Kavitha performs, how many leaders rally behind her, and how the BRS responds to her allegations will shape the evolving political landscape in the state.
Will she expose BRS, BJP's secret agenda’?
Political circles are also abuzz with discussions that Kavitha may seek to expose what she has described in the past as a “secret agenda” between the BRS and BJP in Telangana. She has previously alleged that the BRS had attempted to merge with the BJP.