A row broke out between the BJP and the BRS after Union Minister for State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar insinuated that the bail secured by BRS MLC and K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter Kavitha was actually a quid pro quo deal between the Congress and the regional party in exchange of allowing Congress leader and Supreme Court lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi to win the Rajya Sabha seat from Telangana unopposed.

BRS working president KT Rama Rao promptly slammed the Union Minister alleging that he was casting aspersions on the judges of Supreme Court and urged the apex court to initiate contempt proceedings.

Soon after Kalvakuntala Kavitha secured bail in both cases of ED and CBI in connection with the Delhi Liquor scam, BJP leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar took to social media platform X and said the bail was a win both for the Congress and the BRS.

He wrote, “Congratulations to the Congress party and its advocates for securing bail for BRS MLC in the infamous liquor scam. Your untiring efforts finally yielded fruits. This bail is a win for both BRS and Congress -BRS leader is out on bail and the Congressman gets to Rajya Sabha.”

Kavitha was arrested on 15 March by the Enforcement Directorate and secured bail after 164 days. As the Congress had been accusing the BRS of merging with the BJP KT Rama Rao had said his sister would not have been in jail for such a long time if they had been ready to cut a deal with the ruling party in Delhi.

However, Bandi Sanjay Kumar went to hint a deal between the Congress and the BRS while suggesting that Kavitha’s bail was secured in exchange for the Rajya Sabha seat of veteran Congressman and Supreme Court lawyer Abhisekh Manu Singhvi which he won unopposed. Congress has 64 MLAs of its own in the Assembly and hence Singhvi election would have been a smooth process even if the BRS had given a candidate in the election.

The Union Minister suggested, “Remarkable political acumen of KCR supporting the candidate who initially argued for the bail to be nominated to Rajya Sabha unopposed by the ruling Congress. Congratulations to the partners in crime who wine and dine.”

However, the sole motivation for the BRS to give a candidate would have been to put its own dissident MLAs through the wringer which it didn’t. Singhvi had indeed stood for Kavitha while making the initial bail plea. He had also pleaded for AAP leaders like Manish Sisodia in the Liquor Scam case.

BRS working president Rao was quick to retort, “You’re a union minister in charge of home affairs and casting aspersions on Supreme Court!!Highly unbecoming of your position. I respectfully urge the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India and the respected Supreme Court to take cognizance of these comments and initiate contempt proceedings.”

Kavitha’s bail has come as a huge relief to the Kalvakuntla family and the BRS which celebrated the occasion after the electoral debacle. Although her husband, cousin T Harish Rao and elder brother KT Rama Rao were present today at the Supreme Court, her father K Chandrasekhar Rao never visited her during her stay in prison.