Ex-MP Kavitha’s victory as MLC imminent, but what next?

Hyderabad: Former Lok Sabha member Kalvakuntla Kavitha, daughter of TRS supremo and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, is in fray for the MLC seat of Nizamabad Local Authorities constituency. The polling is scheduled to be held on October 9 and the result will be declared on October 12.

However, there is not much excitement about Kavitha contesting this election, either among the TRS leaders or in the political circles. This is because Kavitha's victory in this election is imminent.

However, the MLC election has triggered an extensive debate not only in the TRS but in the political circles across the Telugu state on ‘what next for Kavitha after becoming MLC’.

In this election, the elected representatives of local bodies in undivided Nizamabad district are allowed to vote and since the TRS swept the polls of all local bodies in Telangana in 2019, a majority of the elected representatives belong to TRS.

There are a total of 824 voters who would exercise their franchise during the polls. Of them, 494 belong to TRS, 140 to Congress, 84 BJP, 66 independents, 28 to AIMIM and 12 others.

These figures clearly show that TRS enjoys absolute majority and Kavitha will win hands down.

Though the Opposition parties, Congress and BJP, have also fielded their candidates, it will be only for 'namesake contest' because both parties stand nowhere near to TRS.

Meanwhile, as though the TRS’ huge majority is not enough, the AIMIM, independents and others are also extending support to Kavitha.

Besides, several elected representatives of the Congress and BJP are defecting into the TRS ever since the election schedule was announced on September 25. All these developments have made MLC polls a 'one-sided war' in favour of the TRS.

For these reasons, more than Kavitha’s winning as MLC, what is being more discussed is what will be the role of Kavitha in state politics, in the TRS and in the TRS government. Kavitha was confined to national politics as Nizamabad MP from 2014 to 2019.

In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, she suffered a shocking defeat in the hands of BJP and since then, she remained inactive in politics. Now, KCR fielded her as an MLC candidate triggering speculation that he had intentionally brought her into the scene in state politics with a view to give her a 'bigger role' both in the TRS and in TRS government. As Kavitha would be elected as MLC for local bodies constituency, she will have connection with state politics.

There is buzz in the party circles believe that she could be inducted into KCR’s Cabinet any time.

At a time when there is talk that KCR would enter national politics in early 2021 and speculation is rife that KCR may hand over the CM post to his son, K.T. Rama Rao very soon, Kavitha's election as MLC gains significance.

There is talk among the party cadre that KCR will confine himself to national politics leaving the state politics to KTR and Kavitha in 2021.