Suspended BRS MLC K Kavitha lashes out at KTR and Harish Rao after the party’s defeat in the Jubilee Hills bypoll, urging them to focus on ground-level work and accusing senior leaders of internal failures.

Suspended BRS MLC K Kavitha took a sharp swipe at her party’s leadership on Saturday, blaming organisational complacency and internal dysfunction for the BRS’ heavy defeat in the Jubilee Hills by-election. Speaking to reporters in Medak, Kavitha said her brother K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) must “step away from social media and get back on the ground,” arguing that the BRS was failing to connect with voters.

She also directed pointed criticism at her cousin T Harish Rao, accusing him of “playing both sides” and urging him to decide his role within the party. “He must choose whether he is Krishna or Arjuna and act with clarity,” she remarked, calling for straightforward leadership.

Kavitha rejected Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s suggestion that BRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao was unwell or out of active politics, insisting that KCR remained in good health.

Her comments come a day after Congress candidate V. Naveen Yadav defeated BRS’ Maganti Sunitha by over 24,000 votes in Jubilee Hills  a setback Kavitha attributed to the party’s failure to meet public expectations. On X, she posted “Karma hits back,” signalling her stance on the loss.

Suspended from the BRS in September following friction with senior leaders over the Kaleshwaram controversy, Kavitha has since been touring districts under the Telangana Jagruti banner, amplifying public grievances and positioning herself independently of the party’s current leadership.

Analysis:
Kavitha’s latest remarks expose deepening fractures within the BRS, signalling a leadership crisis just as the party reels from an electoral setback. Her public criticism may further complicate efforts to restore unity ahead of upcoming civic polls. For voters, the escalating infighting raises questions about the party’s organisational stability and its readiness to play a strong opposition role.