KCR alone can bring TRS back to power in Telangana, says daughter Kavitha

Asserting that the existence of the TRS hinges on the popularity of its chief K Chandrashekhar Rao, his daughter and MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha said Sunday only he alone can bring the ruling party to power again in Telangana and rubbished suggestions it had a covert understanding with the BJP.

Kavita, 40, also expressed confidence that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi(TRS) will win 100 seats in the 119-member house in the assembly elections scheduled on December 7.

"My leader is my party. His vision is Telangana development. They cannot be separated and looked at in isolation," Kavitha told PTI in an exclusive interview.

"It is KCR's vision which got Telangana state. It is KCR's vision which put Telangana on a development path. That visionary leader is our strength. He is the one who will win us back in the government."

Rejecting suggestions that her party had a "covert" understanding with the BJP, Kavitha accused the Congress of spreading such rumours to get minority votes. 

Read more: Telangana Assembly Elections 

Asked if her brother K T RBJP, congress, ama Rao, caretaker IT and Industries Minister, will be the next chief minister, Kavitha said: "TRS will come to power and all of us in the party including my brother would see KCR as chief minister. We want KCR to lead the government."

K Chandrashekhar Rao is popularly known as KCR

The comments come in the backdrop of widely believed power tussle between KCR's son and his nephew T Harish Rao, a popular leader from Siddipet district and also a caretaker irrigation minister.

Kavitha, a Lok Sabha MP from Nizamabad, said there is no power tussle between these two leaders and even if it exists the prospects of TRS will not be affected.

TRS is certainly going to win 100 seats. Even repeating of all sitting MLAs will not affect as they have been given tickets after vetting their performance," she said.

She also said that post state elections, KCR will "certainly be playing a very big role in national politics."

The newly formed state has 17 Lok Sabha seats.

Rubbishing allegations that the TRS was promoting dynasty politics, Kavitha said, "When political parties do not have any serious issues, then they try to bring non-issues. They try to make an issue out of non-issue."

She mentioned that her family members were deeply involved in the Telangana movement. "Later, we were individually and independently elected by people of Telangana. We are not sitting on nominated chairs but elected by the people. So, these allegations do not make any sense. It is a non-issue."

Dismissing any threat from the Congress-led Mahakutami, Kavitha said, "TDP is practically not present on the ground. Congress till date was a primary organisation but it is very distant for us. Rest two parties have zero cadre. How do you expect these parties suddenly becoming super power?"

The Mahakutami is a grand alliance comprising Congress, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS).

Asked about candidates facing backlash from people over the party's unkept promises of the 2014 election manifesto, Kavitha highlighted several promises been implemented including the KG-to-PG education scheme, irrigation projects, pension, scholarships among others.

"There is no backlash from the people. There is backlash from political parties. TRS is the only party which has fulfilled almost each and every promises made in the 2014 polls," she said, and claimed the TRS government also cleared the Rs 11,000 crore debt of the Congress government.

"Opposition may say we have failed (to fulfill promises). We have not failed, we have begun work in all schemes. The schemes which cannot be stalled, the opposition says they are not working. ...The work is in progress in various programmes."

As far as 12 per cent job quota for religious minorities and scheduled tribes is concerned, Kavitha said, "We have passed a resolution in the assembly and it will be sent to the central government for approval.

"If the Centre approves, we will implement. If they reject, then we will appeal in the Supreme Court and get it done just like the Tamil Nadu model," she said.

Attacking the Centre for "neither approving nor rejecting" the state's proposal, Kavitha said: "The reponsiblity now lies on the BJP. We have done our job. We fought in Parliament for minority and ST reservation. The BJP government did not budge. It is on them (BJP) and not on TRS."

She, however, said the TRS will keep the promise. "Whichever government comes back to power at Centre, we will continue to fight and make sure we get the reservation."

Rebuking Congress President Rahul Gandhi's allegations on rise in farmers suicides under the TRS rule, Kavitha said, "Farmers suicides were not the result of the TRS rule in Telangana. It is the result of misrule of Congress and TDP. ...After the TRS came to power, I can challenge and tell you that the rate of farmers suicides is on the decline."

The schemes to provide irrigation and incentives to farmers under Rytha Bandhu programme will help farmers come out of debt trap. "Once the debt trap is broken, there won't be difficulties for farmers and suicides rate will automatically come down."

Hitting out at the NDA government , Kavitha said, "We have not got a high court despite asking for it in the last four and half years. The new state was ignored by the Centre which did not give enough grants. The kind of help NDA has given to its allies, certainly not given to Telangana."

If TRS is voted to power again, she said the party will complete pending works.