Hyderabad, 25 April (HS): In a move carrying political symbolism, Former Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader Kalvakuntla Kavitha on Saturday announced the launch of Telangana Rashtra Sena (TRS), reviving a name that echoes the earlier identity of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, while declaring her ambition to become Chief Minister and usher in what she termed a “new revolution” in Telangana.

Stating that a “new revolution” has begun, Kavitha appealed to the people of the state to extend their blessings and support. Addressing a party launch meeting at Muneerabad on Saturday, she struck a reflective and critical tone while speaking about her political journey and the trajectory of Telangana after statehood.

Admitting a sense of responsibility, she said she felt “ashamed” of certain actions of the BRS government, noting that she was part of the “ruling family” that represented both the party and the administration. At the same time, she expressed pride in her role in the Telangana statehood movement and the achievement of a separate state.

Describing the formation of Telangana Rashtra Sena as an attempt to “correct the wrongs,” Kavitha said the initiative aimed to realign the state with the original aspirations of the movement. She also asserted her contribution, along with Telangana Jagruthi, to the statehood struggle.

Reflecting on the leadership of her father, former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, she remarked that the “chariot of the Telangana movement lost its way” over time and failed to fully understand people’s hardships. “The social chariot of Telangana has broken into pieces,” she said.

Expressing disappointment over post-statehood developments, Kavitha said expectations had not been met. “We believed that once Telangana was formed, the chains of oppression would be broken. But instead, farmers found new shackles,” she said.

Referring to specific concerns, she cited alleged injustices against Dalits in Nerella linked to sand mining and raised concerns over what she described as an atmosphere of surveillance, stating that people feared their phones were being tracked. “Telangana lived under the shadow of a surveillance state,” she said.

“The Telangana we dreamed of has not materialised,” she added, positioning her new political initiative as an effort to revive those ideals.

Continuing her criticism, Kavitha said the BRS had increasingly focused on electoral politics while losing touch with the spirit of Telangana. “The party may be functioning technically, but it has lost its soul and context,” she said, adding that this vacuum led to the launch of the new party.

Projecting a people-centric approach, Kavitha said she aspired to serve “as a mother to the 3.5 crore people of Telangana,” stressing that empathy must guide governance.

Placing her message in a broader historical context, she referred to Telangana’s long history of struggles against inequality, including the peasant armed struggle, the 1952 Mulki agitation, the 1969 Telangana movement, and the Naxalite movement.

She paid tribute to several prominent figures associated with these movements, including K. Jayashankar, Chakali Ailamma, Doddi Komarayya, Arutla Kamala Devi, Ravi Narayana Reddy, Suravaram Pratap Reddy, Dasharathi Krishnamacharyulu, Kaloji Narayana Rao, Gaddar and others, stating that their efforts had advanced the cause of social justice in the region.

Earlier, Kavitha held interfaith prayers at her residence and sought blessings from family members. She later visited Gun Park in Hyderabad to pay tributes to martyrs of the Telangana movement before proceeding in a rally to the meeting venue, where a large number of supporters and party workers gathered for the launch event.

(This is a developing story.)

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar