HYDERABAD: The BRS (Bharat Rashtra Samithi) has received a boost with the release of Kavitha, daughter of former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who was granted bail on Tuesday after more than five months in custody related to the Delhi liquor policy scam. This development comes as a significant morale boost for the party, which had been experiencing a period of low spirits.
With Kavitha now out of jail, there is renewed optimism within the BRS that the party will regain its momentum. Leaders are hopeful that KCR will emerge from his recent hiatus and actively challenge the Congress. They anticipate that KCR will devise a strategic plan to counter the Congress's growing popularity, possibly including district tours and engaging with farmers, particularly since the state government has been criticized for inadequately covering all farmers under its loan waiver scheme.
As local body elections approach, KCR is expected to focus on preparing the party for these crucial polls. Leaders are pondering whether KCR will address both Congress and BJP with equal fervor. After the BRS’s loss in the last Assembly elections, KCR had attended only one session of the Assembly, leaving the party’s legislative efforts largely to former ministers KT Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao, who defended the party against accusations and scrutinized the Congress government's white papers.
The BRS is currently navigating challenges related to corruption investigations into the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme and power purchase agreements from the party's previous tenure. The immediate task for the BRS is to secure its hold on panchayats in the upcoming local body elections. KCR may also need to address the commissions of inquiry to counter allegations against his administration.
In party discussions, there is curiosity about the role Kavitha will assume following her release. There is speculation that she might be given a prominent position within the party, potentially alongside KT Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao, or lead the frontal organizations as general secretary. Another possibility is that she could focus on Nizamabad politics or lead the Bathukamma celebrations, given her previous involvement.
Timeline of the Liquor Policy Case:
- Nov 2021: Delhi government introduces new liquor policy.
- July 31, 2022: Policy withdrawn amid corruption allegations.
- Aug 17, 2022: CBI files FIR against 15, including Manish Sisodia and Kavitha’s associate Arun Ramachandra Pillai.
- Oct 17, 2022: CBI questions Manish Sisodia.
- Dec 1, 2022: CBI interrogates Kavitha in Hyderabad.
- Feb 26, 2023: CBI arrests Manish Sisodia.
- March 11, 2023: ED questions Kavitha in New Delhi.
- March 20-21, 2023: ED interrogates Kavitha again, seizes 10 mobile phones.
- Jan 2024: ED summons Kavitha; she does not attend.
- Feb 21, 2024: CBI summons Kavitha; she fails to appear.
- March 15, 2024: ED arrests Kavitha at her residence.
- March 16, 2024: Kavitha is granted ED custody by the Rouse Avenue court.
- March 26, 2024: Kavitha is sent to Tihar Jail as an undertrial.
- April 11, 2024: CBI arrests Kavitha inside Tihar Jail.
- July 1, 2024: Delhi High Court denies Kavitha bail.
- Aug 27, 2024: Supreme Court grants her bail in ED and CBI cases.