BRS’s Election Rallies in Telangana Look like Victory Rallies: MLC K Kavitha on Campaign Trail | Exclusive

Amid the fierce poll battle in Telangana, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha, while campaigning in Korutla, told CNN-News18 that given the support, the election rallies are looking like her “party’s victory rallies".

Predicting at least 100 seats for the BRS, Kavitha asserts that the Delhi liquor scam, in which her name was being dragged “unnecessarily", has not had any impact on her support base.

Edited excerpts:

How’s the josh on the ground?

You are seeing it yourself. There is a lot of love towards CM K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) and the work he has done. We are winning the election with an absolute majority. We are winning this seat. It is a good feeling to be among people. It does not look like an election rally to me, it looks like a victory rally. Our MLA from here, Sanjay, is winning with a huge majority.

How strong is the anti-incumbency factor? Is this the most challenging election you are facing?

Not at all. Anti-incumbency is very low, that too among a few people who did not get their personal works done. Otherwise, the BRS has been addressing issues and doing work on a universal level, with no discrimination on the basis of constituencies, religions or communities. We have always promoted schemes based on the financial status. We have always worked for the poor, irrespective of the constituency. There is a universal love across the state. The blessings of the poor people of Telangana, who received the benefits of the schemes, will bring us back to power.

Why should the people of Telangana vote for the BRS for the third time? What is your pitch?

From the formation of Telangana to propelling it to number one position in the country on several indices, we have always been with our people, hail or storm, good or bad days, movement or government. Our MLAs are always among the people. The CM makes sure of it. There is no distance between the public representatives and people of Telangana. That will bring us back to power.

How do you read into surveys that voter fatigue and anti-incumbency could be the factors and the numbers may tilt towards the Congress?

This is Congress’s wishful thinking and their manipulative surveys. Such fake surveys had surfaced even before the 2018 polls. But let them win the surveys, we will win the elections.

The Opposition is raising issues of dynastic politics, corruption and appeasement politics. Both the Congress and BJP are saying the state is ruled by a party that believes in ‘one family, one rule’…

The Congress comes to Telangana with Rahul Gandhi ji, Priyanka Gandhi ji and Sonia Gandhi ji on the same stage and accuse us of dynastic politics. Those living in glasshouses shouldn’t throw stones. People don’t take their accusations seriously. The BJP lies to the people about the dynastic rule. The Honourable PM unfortunately reads from the script of the local BJP leaders here. In Vemulawada, the BJP has given ticket to former Maharashtra governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao’s son. Is that not dynastic politics? Across the state, most senior leaders and their kin have got tickets. Of course, there are no takers for their tickets because they are going to lose deposits everywhere.

The BJP has promised to make a Backward Class (BC) leader the head of the state if voted to power…

Absolutely, they are making these claims because they are not winning. The BJP state president was a BC candidate, they removed him and made an OC candidate the head and now they are talking about the BC head…People know the BJP makes false promises…The BJP candidate here, too, is fake against our original candidate.

Why are you not running as an MLA?

Unlike the Congress and BJP, we are a systematic and disciplined party. I don’t get to decide, the party decides who does what, not individuals. Whatever the party decides, I will do.

You had challenged your arch nemesis Arvind Dharmapuri that you would follow him wherever he goes. He is contesting as an MLA from Korutla.

He is going to lose badly. People of Korutla have decided. I don’t have to do any hard work. We have established that whatever he says is false, whatever the BJP promises will never be a reality. People understand that. They will be defeated.

CM KCR has been attacking the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), saying there will be a coalition government of regional parties in 2024…

Neither the NDA nor the INDIA resonate with the public anymore to get a huge number of seats. In such a case, regional parties such as the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), Trinamool Congress (TMC), Biju Janata Dal (BJD), BRS and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) will play a major role. Some are larger regional parties, while some are national parties. They will have a major role in 2024, that is what the CM meant.

The BJD and YSRCP have an understanding with the BJP-led NDA. Will they be on-board with this coalition?

Times change. People change their decisions based on new results. Decisions change with terms. The INDIA bloc will not last after the five-state elections. It has already started.

Why do you say so?

Communists fight in Kerala and Bengal and they are in alliance with TMC. The AAP and Congress fight in multiple states and they are in alliance. How is that possible? The alliance won’t last, ultimately It will fail.

The PM says KCR went to him to join the NDA…

We always only go to our people. The PM can say whatever he wants.

The Congress says you are the B-team of the BJP…

Both the Congress and BJP are trying to defeat us in Korutla. In Nizamabad, it is the same. Where the Congress is weak, the BJP tries and where the BJP is weak, the Congress tries. But the people of Telangana will take a wise decision for their future.

Do you fear Muslims, Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) are tilting towards Congress, like Karnataka?

In Karnataka, the Congress won by default. The BJP failed so Congress won. Here it is an elective election, where people will pick by choice. Here, the Congress and BJP won’t work, as the BRS has worked for minorities, SC and STs. People will support KCR.

Do you think the Delhi excise liquor scam case has tarnished ‘Brand Kavitha’?

There is only Brand BRS and Brand KCR…In politics, one has to be prepared for anything. We have a government at the Centre that targets people using its agencies. Today, one our candidates is being raided by the Income Tax (I-T) department, why not BJP or Congress candidates?

The PM is alleging a link between AAP and BRS based on the liquor scam…

The PM is reading the script being written here. My name is being dragged unnecessarily. I have said it multiple times. I will say this anywhere. It is a fact. If I was tarnished, my people would know and they would not support me.

What next for K Kavitha?

Whatever the party decides. I am very good soldier.

How many seats will the BRS win?

Century…