In a dramatic political rupture, K Kavitha, the daughter of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) founder and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), has formally severed her ties with the party. The 47-year-old leader resigned as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) on Monday, January 5, 2026, delivering an emotional and blistering critique of the party built by her father.
A Tearful Farewell and a Harsh Indictment
Kavitha broke down during her farewell address in the Telangana Legislative Council while announcing her resignation, which she had initially submitted in September 2025. She recounted her long journey in public life, starting with her inspiration from KCR and Professor Jayashankar during the Telangana statehood movement in 2006.
She did not mince words in her attack on the BRS. "BRS lacks ethics and constitutional spirit, and has become corrupt," she declared. Kavitha accused the party leadership of acting without constitutional propriety, specifically targeting her unfairly. She criticised the formation of an eight-page constitution, which she called a "joke," and the overnight creation of a disciplinary committee that suspended her without notice or a proper explanation.
The Road to the Split: Suspension and Scandal
The formal split has been brewing for months. In September, Kavitha had decided to quit but was persuaded to stay. The trigger was her suspension for alleged "anti-party activities" following her public outburst against her cousins, former minister T Harish Rao and ex-Rajya Sabha MP J Santosh Kumar.
Kavitha stated she felt stifled within the party, especially after her name was linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. She was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on April 11, 2024, and was granted bail on August 24 of the same year. She claimed her incarceration was a result of political vendetta by the BJP, which she accused of repeatedly betraying Telangana.
Telangana Jagruthi to Enter the Political Arena
Asserting that she will return as a strong political force, Kavitha announced that her non-governmental organisation, Telangana Jagruthi, will now plunge directly into politics, with an eye on the next Assembly elections in the state. She highlighted the NGO's work in mobilising women and youth, safeguarding Telangana's culture, and fighting for marginalised communities.
Kavitha detailed her contributions post-state formation, including working on key bifurcation issues and development projects like the completion of the long-pending Peddapalli–Nizamabad railway line. Despite this, she said her freedom of expression was consistently curtailed within the BRS.
She pointed out several policy contradictions, noting that despite KCR's historic opposition to outsourcing government jobs, the contract system was expanded after Telangana was formed. When she questioned such decisions, she alleged the party turned hostile and conspired to push her out.
Kavitha also opposed the party's rebranding from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to the BRS, stating it reflected a misguided focus on national expansion at the cost of neglecting Telangana's core issues. She lamented that promises of a transparent Telangana remained unfulfilled, with Andhra-based companies prospering while corruption persisted.
As KCR's daughter, she said she had the courage to question him directly but found the repeated neglect of serious injustices within the party unacceptable. Her resignation marks a significant and deeply personal schism in one of Telangana's most prominent political families, setting the stage for a new political challenger in the state's landscape.
