MLC Kavitha may not contest MP elections from Nizamabad

Hyderabad: BRS may field a new face from Nizamabad parliamentary constituency as MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha, who was earlier considered for the seat, is conspicuously missing in action.

While candidates including sitting MP Aravind Dharmapuri have already hit the ground, the BRS is toying with the idea of fielding a new face, sources said.

The MLC is currently entangled in the Delhi Liquor Scam case and seems to be in a 'withdrawn state' post the debacle of the BRS in the state elections. The last heard from the MLC was that she won't be appearing before the sleuths of the Enforcement Directorate in response to the summons dated 15th January 2024. Kavitha's legal team said that since the plea challenging the ED summons is yet to be heard in the Supreme Court, she will stay away from being further probed.

A highly placed source in conversation with NewsMeter said, "No answer is an answer. This is the case currently in the BRS about the Nizamabad parliamentary seat. A word going around that the party may field a new face against Aravind Dharmapuri, who is already on the ground. This apart, It is observed that after the BRS lost every small and big election in Nizamabad district, there has not been a review meeting to gauge what went wrong.

For instance, in 2021, the BJP won 28 seats out of 60 in the municipal elections, but no review was held. The same is the case with the 2019 parliament elections when BJP’s Aravind Dharmapuri won. Even no review has been done after former CM K Chandrashekar Rao lost from Kamareddy to first-timer Katipally Venkataramana Reddy. She (Kavitha) has been very cathartic over no review meetings.”

As speculation and politics go hand in hand, media reports on a possible BRS- BJP tie-up for the General Elections 2024 are making rounds. However, among the few who are vehemently opposing the move is MLC Kavitha. "After entangling her in a scam, Kavitha has been stiffly opposing it,” the source added.

How BRS' strength dwindled in Nizamabad

Located in the Northern belt of Telangana, the Nizamabad Parliament constituency is divided into 7 assembly constituencies, (Nizamabad Urban, Nizamabad Rural, Bodhan, Balkonda, Korutla, Jagityal, and Armour). Out of the seven, the BRS won in three assembly seats including Korutla, Jagityal, and Balkonda respectively. This does not suffice 50 percent of the total seats.

Speaking to NewsMeter, senior Journalist P Narender explained, "If MLC Kavitha is given a ticket from Nizamabad, she might put up a tough fight against sitting BJP MP Aravind Dharmapuri however unsure if that might transpire into votes. There is anti-incumbency against Aravind however I don't see it manifesting in his defeat. The BJP winning prospects seem to be good in Nizamabad, Aravind is currently engaged in Vikasit Bharat campaigns. He is regularly visiting the districts and holding interaction with local leaders and election influencers".