KTR plays down sister Kavitha's absence at crucial TRS meeting

Hyderabad: TRS working president K T. Rama Rao on Friday played down the absence of his sister K. Kavitha from a crucial meeting of the party which decided to convert itself into a national party BRS.

Dismissing reports of any rift in the family, he alleged that it is an attempt to make fringe issues the main issues.

"These are silly and trivial issues," he said in informal chat with the reporters.

The general body meeting of the TRS on Wednesday passed a resolution changing the party's name to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

The meeting was presided over by TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, popularly known as KCR.

However, the absence of KCR's daughter at the meeting set off speculations of a rift in the family.

Kavitha, who is a member of State Legislative Council, is said to be unhappy with her father for not consulting her before taking the decision to launch the national party.

A former MP from Nizamabad, she has not come out with any clarification about her absence.

She has also issued a statement welcoming the party's decision to go national.

When asked about Kavitha's absence, her brother Rama Rao tried to play it down.

"Do you think anybody opposing KCR's decision and leadership will remain in the party," he asked and found fault with the media for its reports.

"Ranjith Reddy also did not come. Does this mean he is differing with the party decision," he asked, referring to the MP from Chevella.

KTR, as the TRS working president and cabinet minister is popularly known, pointed out that the general body has a strength of 283.

"I think 279 attended the meeting. This is more than 99 per cent. The meeting unanimously supported the resolution," he said.

"We are part of the same family," KTR remarked but did not elaborate further.

The general body meeting was attended by TRS MPs, MLAs and MLCs, besides presidents of district units of the party, heads of affiliated organisations and other elected representatives.

Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, president of VMK and Chidambaram MP Thirumavalavan and some farmer leaders were also present at the meeting.

Kavitha's absence, however, baffled the political circles as she had travelled to the national capital on multiple occasions in the past as part of the preparations to launch the national party.

She is reported to be unhappy over the way KCR ignored her in the entire process.

KCR had reportedly involved son KTR, nephew and finance and health minister T. Harish Rao and another nephew and MP J. Santosh Kumar in the consultation process before taking the decision to change the party's name and amend its Constitution.

Reports of rift in the KCR family were also doing rounds earlier when KCR had appointed KTR as the working president of the party in 2019, just before the Lok Sabha polls.

Harish Rao was reportedly unhappy with the KCR for promoting his son as his successor.

Kavitha, who lost the Lok Sabha elections in Nizamabad, was made a member of the upper house of the state legislature early this year.