Kavitha comes with her own TRS; will it damage father BRS' prospects

HYDERABAD: Former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter K Kavitha naming her party Telangana Rashtra Sena, with the acronym TRS resembling the original identity of BRS, has sparked a debate if it could damage the interests of her father's party.

The Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS), headed by her father, was originally named Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), in lines with the sentiments of the Telangana statehood issue. However, it was renamed as BRS in 2022 following KCR's ambitious plan to expand the party across the country.

Renaming the TRS as BRS was seen as losing the sentimental connection with people and the decades-old aspiration for Telangana statehood.

The name change was believed to be one of the major reasons for BRS's defeat in the 2023 assembly polls, ending a decade of the regional party's regime in the southern state.

Naming her outfit TRS, launched amid fanfare on Saturday, is seen as an attempt by Kavitha to claim the legacy of her father and the original TRS.

Her exit from BRS was acrimonious as Kavitha, former Nizamabad MP, was suspended for slamming her cousins and party leaders, T Harish Rao and J Santosh Kumar over an irrigation project.

Political analyst Telakapalli Ravi said Kavitha may become a rallying point for "dissidents and disgruntled elements of BRS" especially considering her main constituency would be BRS followers, given that her party's name is TRS.

"When Kavitha had indicated some time ago that her party would be named TRS, BRS immediately said they will try to have their original name. That's a kind of boost for a political leader. She may even claim it to be her first victory," he told PTI.

Ruling Congress would benefit to the extent she damages the prospects of BRS, Ravi added.

However, Kavitha is unlikely to emerge as a major force to challenge both the Congress and BRS, he opined.

He said Kavitha's party may impact BJP to some extent as the die hard supporters of Telangana identity may choose her party if they don't want to vote for Congress and BRS.

Besides, Kavitha may also choose to attack the BJP on different issues, he said.

However, Telangana BJP chief spokesperson N V Subhash said Kavitha's party would not have any impact on saffron organisation.

BRS MLC Sravan Dasoju said KCR, as party chief Rao is addressed, is a towering personality whose contribution is engraved in Telangana history, from the statehood agitation and formation to the state's development.

Anybody making accusations against KCR, either a new party or an old one, would be taught a befitting lesson by people themselves, he told PTI.

Kavitha, who announced her party's name and agenda at an event on the city outskirts on Saturday, sharply attacked the ruling Congress, BJP and BRS, describing her father as a "changed man" who has become "soulless".

Attacking KCR and her brother K T Rama Rao, she said her father has lately been speaking without showing "political maturity".

"We can understand if KTR (Rama Rao) speaks like that. He does not know much. But, KCR says people made a mistake. Ok. Let's assume people made a mistake by not giving you power. As a mother, if my son makes a mistake, am I going to leave him. Am I not going to take care of him," she said.

Kavitha said she decided to launch her political outfit as KCR is not responding to people's issues.

She had indicated in the past that anybody can claim the name of TRS for a political party as her father's TRS has been renamed as BRS.

KCR had set up Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in 2001 with the sole aim of achieving Telangana statehood.

Kavitha was suspended from the BRS in September, 2025 after she accused her cousins and party leaders Harish Rao and Santosh Kumar of "tarnishing" her father KCR's image over the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project built during the previous BRS regime.

Since her suspension, she has been focusing on public issues under the banner of Telangana Jagruthi, a cultural organisation headed by her, before launching her own political party on Saturday.