Hyderabad: In an unusual yet growing trend, leaders across major political parties—BRS, BJP, and Congress—in Telangana are openly questioning their party lines, challenging leadership decisions, and airing internal differences. Political observers say this reflects not just rising personal ambitions and internal power struggles, but also the shrinking democratic space within party structures.What makes these developments particularly striking is the conspicuous silence of top leadership across parties. While dissent brews, party heads are taking little or no initiative to contain or clarify the unfolding rifts—leaving grassroots workers and cadre confused about where their parties stand.In the BRS, former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter and MLC, Kalvakuntla Kavitha, recently spoke out about internal party matters, triggering speculation about her future in the party. Some within the BRS have turned sharply critical of her, accusing her of overstepping boundaries, while her supporters insist she is being unfairly targeted.The leadership’s non-response has only deepened the uncertainty. Discussions are reportedly ongoing about whether to initiate disciplinary action against Kavitha or send another emissary to reconcile differences.This isn’t the first time BRS has faced internal defiance. A similar episode played out when former health minister Eatala Rajender gradually distanced himself from party affairs before eventually defecting to the BJP.Meanwhile, the BJP—typically viewed as a party of strict discipline—is also seeing cracks. Firebrand Goshamahal MLA T Raja Singh openly criticises state party president G Kishan Reddy and even floated the idea of BJP leaders switching parties if offered the right ‘package.’ “No action has been taken against him, and neither the party central leadership nor state leaders have responded to his remarks. This level of indifference is unusual for our party,” a BJP leader observed. Singh’s repeated outbursts have gone unaddressed by the leadership, causing concern among cadre and raising questions about the party’s internal unity.The Congress, known historically for tolerating dissent as a mark of internal democracy, is witnessing its own turbulence. Mahila Congress state president M Sunitha Rao publicly questioned the appointment of actor-politician Vijayashanti as MLC, before retracting her remarks.Just months ago, some MLAs held a closed-door meeting to voice dissatisfaction with governance. MLC Teenmar Mallanna, another vocal figure within the party, was served a show-cause notice after taking positions contrary to the party line.Political analyst S Ramakrishna says, “These developments are like two sides of a coin. On one hand, parties follow a top-down model where lower-level leaders are rarely allowed space to express. On the other, some of these leaders may be nurturing ambitions that outstrip their actual influence.”