A new entrant into the electoral arena, Congress candidate for Warangal parliamentary constituency, Kadiyam Kavya shot to fame even before she fought the elections. After being named as the MP candidate on behalf of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Kavya opted out of the poll fray citing corruption, land grabbing and other issues plaguing the party.
Daughter of veteran political leader and legislator Kadiyam Srihari, Ms. Kavya eventually quit BRS and joined Congress.
While her father’s political entry was through the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) whose very foundational principles were against Congress, 40-year-old Kavya has chosen the latter to contest the elections.
The question at the time of TDP formation was that of Telugu pride. Now, Kavya is targeting the ruling party at the Centre accusing it of atrocities against Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Christian minorities. “If they come to power, they will abolish the Constitution and remove reservations,” she claims as part of her campaign.
As an educated woman, former pathologist and a philanthropist, she speaks about Health and Education as her priorities if elected. Working in a government hospital without drinking water facility, proper toilets, medicines or lab tests, she experienced first-hand the travails of patients.
Through Kadiyam Foundation, Ms. Kavya has taken the initiative to distribute one lakh sanitary napkins to schoolchildren in order to bring down the drop out rates among girls reaching menarche.
Her proclaimed agenda of development for Warangal constituency also includes underground drainage, railway coach factory, a separate railway division for Kazipet, an Outer Ring Road, an airport, a textile park and a leather park. She also vows to fight against the privatisation of Singareni Collieries.
Her opponent from BJP Aroori Ramesh is a strongly entrenched candidate who has won twice as a MLA from Wardhannapet constituency. Also, Ms. Kavya’s origins from Baindla caste, which is a sub-caste of Madiga, is one more factor which might work against her, as Warangal has a high number of Madiga voters.
She might heavily bank on her father’s established credentials for this election, but only time will tell if she would ever be able to come out of his colossal shadow that could both be a blessing and bane for her.
