After the ruckus over the purported attempts to poach four TRS MLAs, the political defection din in Telangana now is centred around Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter Kalvakuntla Kavitha.
Addressing his party legislators and leaders at the TRS headquarters on Tuesday, KCR claimed that the BJP “had brazenly targeted even his daughter Kavitha, an MLC in Telangana, to make her switch over.”
Refuting the CM's claims as “atrocious” the BJP has on Thursday said that “Kavitha herself had in-fact called Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge showing interest in joining the party.”
“Kavitha who was peeved after she was kept away from the TRS to BRS name change event recently, called up Kharge. A senior Congress leader, a national office bearer, a friend of mine, in New Delhi told me this,” Telangana BJP MP Arvind Dharmapuri told a press conference at the Telangana BJP headquarters on Thursday.
“I told the Congress leader that she might be bluffing, just to alarm her father KCR,” the MP said.
Dharmapuri, who defeated sitting Nizamabad MP Kavitha in the 2019 polls, added that her inclusion in BJP would be of no use to his party.
A day after, on Friday morning, a mob of TRS activists barged into the Banjara Hills residence of Dharmapuri, and vandalized the premises. The men carrying TRS flags apparently damaged the flower pots, glass windows, car windshield and broke the furniture inside while allegedly terrorizing the women present inside including the MP's 70 year old mother.
"TRS goondas attacked my residence following the orders of KCR, KTR and Kavitha. They vandalised the house, terrorised my mother and created ruckus," the MP said in a tweet, sharing the pictures and tagging the PMO and PM Narendra Modi.
“Why was there no attack on KCR's house when he said BJP tried to poach her? I only revealed what I came to know. Kavitha should respond, (giving a clarity about what actually happened). But what is this rampage at my house,” Dharmapuri, who was away in his constituency, said.
Kavitha called a press conference on the matter.
“If you make such heinous allegations again about me changing party affiliations, I will slap you with my slipper in Nizamabad chowrasta. From wherever you contest next, I will defeat you there,” KCR's daughter warned Dharmapuri.
The BJP leaders including union ministers Ganjendra Singh Shekhawat, Kishan Reddy, general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh, Telangana unit chief Bandi Sanjay condemned the hooliganism at Dharmapuri's house. A complaint was lodged with the Banjara Hills police, seeking legal action and protection for the MP's family.
The BJP has called for agitations, protesting the MP's house attack. The effigies of KCR and Kavitha were burnt down in some places.
The BJP had earlier alleged the involvement of Kavitha in the Delhi liquor scam.