Election Commission Asks K Kavitha's TRS To Choose Alternative Names Amid Dispute Over Acronym

Published 5 July 2026 · politics

Election Commission Asks K Kavitha's TRS To Choose Alternative Names Amid Dispute Over Acronym Published By, Last Updated: July 05, 2026, 17:32 IST The ECI

Election Commission Asks K Kavitha's TRS To Choose Alternative Names Amid Dispute Over Acronym Published By, Last Updated: July 05, 2026, 17:32 IST The ECI has received over 1,100 complaints over the acronym of K Kavitha's party, including from her former party, BRS, which previously used the same abbreviation. Rapid Read Telangana Rakshana Sena (TRS) president K Kavitha. (File Image) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked K Kavitha’s Telangana Rakshana Sena (TRS) to choose alternative names for the party after receiving hundreds of objections over the acronym, according to reports. The poll body has received more than 1,100 complaints, including one reportedly filed by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), questioning the similarity between Kavitha’s proposed party name and the former identity of BRS – Telangana Rashtra Samiti.

However, the EC sent two objections to K Kavitha’s TRS. One objection was from Telangana Rajya Samithi, the district headquarters town of Siddipet in Telangana, and the other was by a Maharashtra-based outfit with the acronym TRS. Kavitha’s TRS Responds To Objections Meanwhile, Kavitha’s TRS urged the EC to furnish all the objections. It promised to answer “every single objection", news agency PTI reported, citing party sources. The party is also contemplating legal recourse to defend its title. Kavitha had earlier announced Telangana Rashtra Sena (TRS) as the name of her new political party. However, the Election Commission advised her to adopt a different name to avoid confusion with the erstwhile Telangana Rashtra Samithi, after which she changed the party’s name to Telangana Rakshana Sena. Despite this, the ECI issued notice to Kavitha after receiving hundreds of complaints over the acronym.

This triggered a political storm in Telangana, with opposition parties calling it an embarrassment for Kavitha. Kavitha, daughter of BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao, had launched the TRS on April 25, seven months after parting ways with the BRS. Telangana Rashtra Samithi was the original name of the BRS headed by Rao, which was later changed to BRS in a bid to expand the party’s footprint beyond Telangana. However, the plans suffered a setback with BRS losing power in December 2023. “We have worked for this name for our lifetime. 20 years of our blood and sweat have gone into making TRS a successful party. We have achieved the state of Telangana," she earlier told ANI. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Aveek Banerjee Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18.