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HomePolitics'Shinde model' vs 'call to Kharge' — KCR's daughter Kavitha & BJP...

‘Shinde model’ vs ‘call to Kharge’ — KCR’s daughter Kavitha & BJP trade barbs in Telangana

Denying BJP MP Dharmapuri's claims that she had called the Congress president, Kavitha Kalvakuntla challenged him to contest against her in polls, threatened to 'slap him with slippers'.

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Hyderabad: Days after Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) alleged that his daughter was approached with an offer to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Kavitha Kalvakuntla confirmed Friday that ‘friends of BJP’ reached out to her and even proposed a ‘Shinde model’.

The state BJP, on the other hand, claimed Kavitha expressed her desire to join the Congress in a purported phone call with newly-elected party president Mallikarjun Kharge.

“In this country, at this point in time, there have been multiple proposals given to me by various people. I am a decent politician and I want to remain in politics in this country for a long time. I don’t want to name anybody. There have been proposals that were brought up to me by friends of BJP and friendly organisations of BJP, asking me to join them and they proposed a model called Shinde model,” Kavitha told a press conference.

She was referring to Maharashtra politics where a split in the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde led to the downfall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in June, paving the way for the BJP’s return to power there.

“I told them that people of Telangana do not cheat, we will become leaders but not through this backdoor. We have politely rejected the proposal, but now what will they do after that is a different story. We’re seeing a trend where opposition leaders are being harassed by ED (Enforcement Directorate),” the Members of Legislative Council (MLC) from Nizamabad added.

Reaffirming her faith in her father, Kavitha said her “heart is only in one place, where my leader is and I have one leader in this life and that is KCR, my life and my political career is with him and will be with him”.

KCR had, in an internal party meeting Tuesday, told leaders of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) that his daughter was approached by the BJP, said party insiders.


Also Read: In ‘semi-final’ bypoll before Telangana elections in 2023, TRS survives tough match with BJP


‘What’ll we get if we buy KTR or Kavitha?’

Reacting to KCR’s remarks, BJP MP Arvind Dharmapuri alleged Thursday that she was upset about being sidelined from the event last month during which the ruling TRS was renamed Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

The move was seen as part of KCR’s larger goal to expand his party beyond Telangana. While most TRS cadres attended, Kavitha was absent from the event.

Alleging that Kavitha was upset over being left out of the event, Dharmapuri claimed she contacted Kharge and expressed her interest in joining the Congress.

“What will we get if we buy KTR (state minister and TRS working president) or Kavitha? Kavitha had called Kharge. She was not included in the event where TRS was renamed to BRS, and she got upset and called Kharge. A senior Congress office-bearer called me and informed me about this, saying she wants to join Congress.”

Addressing a press conference Thursday, Dharmapuri claimed he told the Congress office bearer that Kavitha leaked information about her ‘call with Kharge’ to “scare her father” who then pacified her and the two went together to pay condolences to former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.

A day after his comments, Dharmapuri’s residence in Hyderabad was attacked, allegedly by TRS workers who also reportedly protested in front of the Nizamabad MP’s house.

‘Arvind is like khichad

Kavitha issued a sharp rejoinder to Arvind’s claims, denying the allegations. The chief minister’s daughter even said she would defeat him in the upcoming elections on whatever seat he decides to contest.

“MP Arvind is like khichad (mud). Our clothes get dirty if we pelt stones at them. I think he is dreaming about me calling Kharge. And he says he got this information through someone from Congress. What does that mean? That Arvind is in touch with Congress, not me. He had helped Congress with money during elections. These are all baseless allegations, trying to misguide people,” she said Friday.

“Remember Arvind, if you make such baseless allegations against me one more time, I am going to slap you with a slipper at Nizamabad chowrastha.”

Condemning the attack on his residence and responding to Kavitha’s challenge, the BJP MP accused KTR and Kavitha of displaying upper caste arrogance. 

“This is just arrogance since they hail from the upper caste. What derogatory comments did I make? And how can women in my house, including my 70-year-old mother, be attacked? Can’t Kavitha, being a woman, see all of this? And who is she threatening? She can contest from anywhere in 2024. I am asking her to come and contest,” he said.

Faced with a growing BJP in Telangana, the TRS had claimed to have foiled a plot by the ruling party in the Centre to ‘poach’ four of its MLAs earlier this month. A probe into the matter is underway under the supervision of a high court judge.

(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)


Also Read: From Naxalite to lawyer to MLA, now with PhD: Meet Seethakka, Congress ‘phenomenon’ in Telangana


 

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