Arvind Dharmapuri is clear about one thing: saffronising Telangana by 2023, when the State will go to polls. The Nizamabad MP-elect is committed to Hindutva, having had a strong RSS background.

He has defeated none other than Kavitha, the daughter of Telangana CM KCR. Was it possible only because his father, D Srinivas, allegedly ensured a tacit understanding between Congress and BJP in the constituency?

Arvind, who is just 42, says that there was no such understanding. "Kavitha garu didn't do anything to her constituency. Even TRS workers voted for BJP this time," he says.

The young politician is proud of his background. "Six chief ministers visited our house over the decades. Kavitha was not a big deal just because her father is a CM," he says.