The recent Member of Legislative Council (MLC) elections in the two Telugu states are a cause of worry for the incumbent parties in both states – Jagan Reddy’s YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh and K Chandrasekhar Rao’s BRS party in Telangana. For the first time since the last state assembly elections in both states, the results of the recent MLC elections appear ominous for the current ruling parties.

By Saturday, March 18th, Andhra Pradesh’s MLC election results were declared confirmed after a few days of counting and re-counting amidst rumours and speculations. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Andhra Pradesh’s principal opposition party, made a comeback in the MLC elections, notably in the Graduates’ Constituencies in North Coastal AP (Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam), East Rayalaseema districts (Chittoor, Nellore, and Prakasam) and West Rayalaseema comprising of Kadapa, Anantapur and Kurnool districts, which are all considered the ruling YSR Congress Party’s strongholds.

North-coastal Andhra constituency’s TDP candidate Vepada Chiranjeevi Rao won over the YSRCP candidate, Sithamraju Sudhakar. East Rayalaseema’s TDP candidate Kancharla Srikanth Chowdary won over YSRCP candidate Pernati Syam Prasada Reddy. West Rayalaseema TDP’s Bhumireddy Ramgopal Reddy won over YSRCP’s Vennapusa Ravindra Reddy.

Former Chief Minister and TDP President, N. Chandrababu Naidu thanked the voters for TDP’s victory in all three graduates’ constituencies, stating that it is a clear indication of educated people’s far-sighted understanding of the YSRCP’s unsustainable policies and rejection of Jagan Reddy’s corruption, lack of law and order, fiscal irregularities and economic policies leading to AP’s critical financial situation.

Earlier last week, the TDP leader had requested the chief electoral officer, MK Meena, and district electoral officers in Visakhapatnam and Tirupati to ensure transparency and fairness in the counting of votes. TDP state president K Atchan Naidu said that people have rejected YSRCP’s “three-capital cities” proposal as well as his party’s large land-grabbing/other illegal activities around the greater Visakhapatnam area under the pretence of “development” and expansion.

The YSRCP won 4 seats from local bodies’ constituencies and 2 seats from Teachers’ constituencies. Local news reports speculated that the 2 Teachers’ constituency seats may have been won under the YSRCP party’s pressure tactics/threats to local teacher’s unions, considering that the YSRCP is not viewed favourably by this segment of the population. Non-payment/late payment of salaries and allowances to teaching staff and other government employees in the cash-strapped state as well as high levels of political interference and intimidation has earned the ruling YSRCP, an unfavorable reputation among a majority of Andhra Pradesh’s government employees.

In Telangana, the BJP tasted its maiden victory in the MLC elections. BJP-backed candidate, A Venkat Narayana Reddy won the MLC election from the Mahabunagar-Ranga Reddy-Hyderabad teachers’ constituency over his nearest rival G Chennakeshava Reddy of Panchayat Raj Teachers’ Union (PRTU), who was supported by the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party.

Telangana State BJP president Bandi Sanjay expressed his joy and declared “this is the first time in the new state of Telangana that the BJP has won an MLC seat in the Teachers’ constituency. This election proves strong anti-incumbency against the BRS, especially among government employees and the educated sections.”

Against the backdrop of the Opposition’s victory in both states:

– Telangana’s BRS party is embroiled in the Delhi Liquorgate scam, its leader K Chandrasekhar Rao tried to rally a section of non-Congress, Non-BJP parties to form a struggling “third-front” alternative exposing his national ambitions and his incumbent BRS party does appear to be fighting an anti-incumbency wave after almost 10 years in power. The BJP appears to be gaining ground among certain sections of Hindus amidst complaints about the BRS party’s minority appeasement policies.

– Andhra’s ruling YSRCP members and ‘advisors’ are also embroiled in the Delhi Liquorgate scandal and the Andhra Pradesh chief minister is desperately knocking on the doors of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) for help in reversing the state’s significant negative economic trends. Reddy and his YSRCP have bankrupted AP’s exchequer with unreasonable, non-feasible “welfare” schemes and are desperate for the release of additional funds to the state government, the granting of a promised “special status” for Andhra Pradesh (tabled in Parliament, after the larger state’s bifurcation in 2014) and approval for a much-needed expansion of Visakhapatnam’s airport.

Telangana goes to polls before the end of this year and Andhra has about a year before its next state elections. The results of the recent MLC elections in both states are a wake-up call to Telangana’s BRS party and AP’s YSRCP.

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Telangana’s ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi party’s (BRS) former MP, current MLC and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter, K Kavitha decided to prioritise a women’s “protest” over a summon from the Enforcement Directory (ED) regarding her involvement in the Delhi government’s Liquor Scam.

Kavitha’s brother and the CM’s son, KT Rama Rao, is the state’s Minister for Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Industries & Commerce as well as Information Technology. The CM’s nephew, T Harish Rao is the Minister of the Medical – Health, and Finance Department of Telangana. 

With four members of the Telangana CM’s immediate family in important State Ministerial positions and key BRS party posts, including the CM himself, the BRS party has developed a reputation of a typical Indian regional dynastic political party. 

Dominated by one family in a typical dynastic manner, Telangana’s BRS party members are expected to support and rally behind CM K Chandrasekar Rao’s family, regardless of the matter at hand. One scandal that refuses to go away; one that the CM’s family and his party are unable to exercise their power and influence over, is the infamous Delhi “Liquorgate” scam that the CM’s daughter, K Kavitha is reported to be involved in and being investigated for, by both the CBI and the ED investigative agencies. 

While the BRS party, parroting the words of other opposition parties, claims that Kavitha’s case is one of political vendetta by the BJP, the state’s BJP asks why, although they have made statements indicating cooperation. The BRS party and Kavitha are uncomfortable with an ED investigation into the matter. It is still unclear why Kavitha is not yet able to furnish any conclusive evidence of her non-involvement in the Delhi liquor scam, which involves big names like Aam Aadmi Party’s Manish Sisodia.

Critics also question Kavitha’s hesitation and eventual postponement of her scheduled enquiry/ED investigation, if indeed, she has no financial irregularities to hide and she is indeed innocent as claimed by BRS party leaders. Kavitha asked for a postponement of the original ED date of Thursday, March 9. She will now appear before the ED on March 11, after leading a women’s reservation protest in Delhi, on March 10. The CBI had earlier interrogated Kavitha, filed charges, and summoned her for questioning, based on the CBI’s reports. 

The BRS party’s K Kavitha and her “NGO”, Bharath Jagruthi, plan to stage a dharna/protest involving a women’s reservation bill,  just in time, when Kavitha is trying to fight negative publicity for herself, her political family, and her father’s BRS party with regards to the Delhi liquor scam. It is expected that around 500 people will sit on a hunger strike, demanding the Centre to pass a Women’s Reservation Bill, to ensure a 33% reservation for women in the Parliament and State Legislatures.

Critics are questioning the timing of the “protest” and asking why Kavitha, the BRS party, and other opposition parties didn’t sincerely strive for a larger women’s political and legislative representation/reservation earlier – why did they wait till now and what are all these political parties doing for women’s political participation and reservation, within their own parties? 

The BJP points out that it has had a better track record of women’s representation and offering key legislative positions to its women leaders, than most of the other political parties. Critics ask why Kavitha’s BRS party or the several other parties joining today’s protest, had not put on a tough fight for a women’s reservation bill during the tenure of the earlier non-BJP regime. 

Other opposition parties who see an opportunity at being in the right place, at the right time, are also expected to help Kavitha put on a show at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. It is to be noted that her father, Telangana’s current CM, Chandrasekar Rao tried to create a third front of sorts back in January 2023, to showcase his national ambitions and a semi-opposition unity (not all opposition parties chose to join his bandwagon) under his leadership. 

Kavitha’s Delhi protest is expected to bring several Opposition parties together. Opposition leaders who have agreed to participate in support of the Women’s Reservation Bill include, Sitaram Yechury, D Raja, Omar Abdullah, leaders from Kavitha’s own BRS party, and others leaders from the National Conference, PDP, Akali Dal, Trinamool Congress, Janata Dal (U), RJD, Samajwadi Party, CPI, CPM, DMK, NCP, Shiv Sena, Aam Aadmi Party, and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.

It appears that Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has directed current Telangana ministers, Satyavathi Rathod and P Sabitha Indra Reddy along with women MPs, MLAs, and MLCs from the BRS party to actively participate in his daughter’s Delhi protest.

Mild tension had prevailed at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Thursday, after the Delhi Police asked the Bharat Jagruthi (an “NGO” led by K Kavitha) to confine itself to one-half of the requested protest area as they had granted permission on the same day, for another BJP-led protest against the Delhi government’s Excise/liquor policy scam, in which, ironically,  Kavitha is being investigated. As of last night, the BRS-led protest was permitted to utilise the whole ground as originally requested. It is reported that the BJP decided to hold its liquorgate protest at a different venue, the Deendayal Marg. 

Kavitha said earlier “I request President Draupadi Murmu to ensure passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill.” In the same breath, Kavitha complimented Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for having backed the Women’s Reservation Bill despite leading a coalition government at the Centre! The BJP is scoffing at the BRS’s attempt to score points with the Congress, even as both parties launch scathing attacks at each other in the state, as Telangana’s state elections draw closer.

Kavitha’s involvement in the liquorgate scam is via her close business association and related activities with Butchibabu Gorantla, a Hyderabad based Chartered Accountant and Anil Kumar Boinapally, a Hyderabadi businessman. A group of individusls from the South with proven links to both Andhra’s YSR party and Telangana’s BRS party (informally referred to as “the South group” by the ED) are reported to have struck a financial deal with certain decision makers of Delhi’s AAP party for the cartelization of Delhi’s liquor purchase/import, distribution and sale.

Ex-Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia’s secretary/ PA went on record, exposing evidence of the ‘South Group’s’ ₹100 Cr illicit payments to the AAP’s coffers.

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Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter K Kavitha is all set to enter the state Legislative Council.

The Election Commission has announced October 9 as the date of polling for the by-election for the post of MLC from Nizamabad Local Authorities Constituency. With TRS having 598 out of total 824 voters, Kavitha’s Win is a foregone conclusion. Kavitha had filed nomination for the by-election on March 18. Congress fielded Subhash Reddy while the BJP named P Laxminarayana as its candidate. But Congress and BJP are well behind in numbers with each having 140 and 84 members only. The election was postponed thrice due to ongoing COVID situation.

The vacancy in the Council caused by disqualification of incumbent R Bhupathi Reddy who defected to Congress by 2018.Both High Court and  the Supreme Court upheld the disqualification.

K Kavitha was defeated in 2019 Loksabha election by BJP Candidate Dharmapuri Arvind who Jumped to BJP from TRS before election. It was a big setback to Telengana CM as he has registered a stupendous win few months before in State election.

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The active cases in India have been hovering around the 1-million mark for some time now, despite the fact that new cases and recoveries are almost neck and neck now. Recoveries have now reached whopping 5 million mark.

Andhra Pradesh has registered a total of 6,81,161 cases of which less than 10 per cent — 63,116 cases — are active. The state has a doubling time of almost 65 days and its CFR has been on a downward trajectory, currently standing at 0.8 per cent and recovery ratio at 89%. 5745 people have lost their lives.

Karnataka has seen 6,892 cases in the last 24 hours along with 59 deaths. The total number of cases in the state currently is 5,82,458 of which about one-fifth (1,04,048) are positive cases. The CFR remains below the national average at 1.5 per cent. 8641 people have lost their lives.

Kerala is the new entrant standing at 4th place in the active cases count across India. There are 57,882 active cases with last week alone registering daily more than 6000 cases. CFR ratio is around 1.4% with mortality of 698 deaths

Tamil Nadu’s had 5,589 cases and 70 deaths in the last 24 hours taking its total cases to 5,86,397. However, the state now has a CFR of 1.60 per cent, which is higher than the national average and the doubling time is 72.5 days.

Telengana has registered 1,87,211 cases with active cases hovering around 30,000.CFR is similar to TN at 1.60 %.But Telengana is not doing good at testing and it tests are still at lower end.

Puducherry is at the bottom of the pyramid with only 26,685 cases. Active cases are hovering around 5014 with recovery ratio at 79.3%

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