K Kavitha and Y S Sharmila: Rivals in a sisterhood of travails

Kavitha floated a cultural organisation called the Telangana Jagruthi in 2006, which is essentially her support platform. With the CBI shadow now looming large, the 44-year-old on Sunday called on KCR an hour after the agency finished questioning her at her residence in Hyderabad. However, crucially, a statement that was to follow never came, while both KCR and KTR are yet to comment on the probe. The silence is all the more telling as they have earlier spoken about Central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and CBI “targeting” BRS leaders.

The allegations against Kavitha, of being involved in the Delhi liquor policy row, coincide with the BJP’s determined bid to make inroads in Telangana.

In her electoral debut in 2014, Kavitha had won the Nizamabad Lok Sabha seat against the Congress’s two-time MP Madhu Goud Yaskhi, by a massive 1.67 lakh votes. However, that support gradually eroded over her failure to address the demand of angry turmeric farmers for a Turmeric Board for price regulation. After her 2019 loss, Kavitha dropped out of public view for a few months, but returned to public life in October 2020 after being elected to the state Legislative Council from Nizamabad. She was re-elected to the House again in December 2021.

Sharmila’s climb seems much tougher, as she is banking on Telangana to do for her what Andhra won’t. A popular Jagan Mohan Reddy, who founded the YSR Congress Party following the death of father Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, and swept to power in May 2019, has complete hold over the YSRCP, and has eased out not just Sharmila but also their mother.

Sharmila started the YSR Telangana Party on July 8, 2021, and lifting a page from Jagan’s book, set off on a tour to rally support. However, she has faced the equally powerful BRS every step of the way.

Like KCR and KTR, Jagan too has been quiet on his sister’s travails, including her detention by the police in Warangal on November 28, with BRS supporters attacking her convoy and setting it on fire. The trigger was her accusations of corruption against P Sudarshan Reddy, the BRS MLA from Narsampet in Warangal district. Since then, the police have refused to give permission to her ‘Praja Prasthanam Yatra’, covering Telangana on foot, expressing inability to continue protection. When Sharmila tried to drive to Pragathi Bhavan to protest against the cancellation of permission, she was detained in her SUV, which was towed away while she was at the wheel.

She was later arrested and a court granted her bail late at night on November 29. On December 9, Sharmila decided to sit on a fast at YSR’s residence Lotus Pond in protest and was forcibly removed by police early Sunday morning, who shifted her to a hospital as her health deteriorated. The foiling of her march would virtually ground her political ambitions.

Meanwhile, there is still no word from Jagan.