Telangana's Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has removed his Cabinet colleague Konda Surekha from office. The move is the result of a political issue on Surekha's daughter making critical remarks against the Chief Minister and other Congress leaders.
Surekha, who was the Forest and Endowments Minister of Telangana before the fight, had been under increasing pressure from the ruling Congress. According to the Chief Minister's Office, a recommendation on removal of her from the Council of Ministers has been sent to Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla.
The decision marks a new dimension in Telangana politics and reflects the growing tension in the state Congress. The controversy had triggered strong reactions from several ruling party MLAs and other functionaries, and demands were already made to take action against Surekha.
The decision followed a series of discussions between the senior Congress leaders. Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president B Mahesh Kumar Goud held talks with All India Congress Committee leaders in Delhi for several days.
The senior leaders in the discussions were Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party general secretary K C Venugopal. The consultations were about the political situation in Telangana and the issue of Surekha, we heard.
Controversy Over Daughter's Remarks
Konda Surekha found herself at the centre of the political row after comments made by her daughter drew criticism from Congress leaders. Several party MLAs and functionaries said they disagreed with the comments and also sought action against Surekha, particularly that she had not publicly condemned the remarks.
Surekha, however, maintained that her daughter was an independent individual and should not be held responsible for her daughter's statements. She said her daughter was independent and that responsibility for the comments should not be attributed to her.
The former minister also defended her performance in government. During her visit to Delhi, Surekha met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and AICC in-charge of Telangana affairs Meenakshi Natarajan to present her side of the matter.
She said she had requested the party leadership to allow her to continue in Cabinet, saying she had done a good job as minister and there had been no allegations of corruption against her.
Surekha also questioned the circumstances behind Congress MLAs' request for disciplinary action against her. She argued that the MLAs had not acted voluntarily and that someone was influencing them, but would not name anyone.
Congress Disciplinary Committee Recommends Action
The disciplinary committee of the Telangana Congress had earlier recommended that the party leadership take strong action against Konda Surekha. The committee’s recommendation added pressure on the Chief Minister and senior Congress leadership to address the controversy.
Surekha also criticised the disciplinary notice issued to her and sought action against MLAs who had spoken against her. She sent emails to senior Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, outlining her position.
The political developments surrounding Surekha have highlighted internal tensions in the Telangana Congress. The party, which heads the state government, has been trying to keep unity while managing disagreements among senior leaders and elected representatives.
Chinna Reddy Also Loses Planning Board Post
Along with Konda Surekha, the government of Telangana also rescinded the appointment of G Chinna Reddy as Vice Chairman of the State Planning Board.
The disciplinary committee of the state Congress had also recommended action against Chinna Reddy following criticism directed at party MLA Tudi Meghareddy.
Following the removal of Chinna Reddy from the Planning Board, the government appointed Gadwal Vijayalakshmi as the new Vice Chairperson of the State Planning Board. Vijayalakshmi was Chairperson of Telangana State Women's Commission.
Congress leader Nerella Sharada has been appointed the new Chairperson of Women's Commission.
In another important appointment, former Member of Parliament G Sudha Rani has been appointed Chairperson of Kakatiya Urban Development Board (KUDA) in Warangal.
Political Significance of the Cabinet Change
The removal of Konda Surekha from the Telangana Cabinet is likely to attract significant political attention. As a senior leader, her departure from the Council of Ministers is a major shake up in Revanth Reddy led government.
The action also sends a strong message about party discipline in the Congress. Based on recommendations from the state disciplinary committee and conversations between Telangana leaders and the party’s national leadership, the action was taken.
The decision will now give more emphasis to how the Congress deals with internal differences in Telangana. While the initial controversy was over comments made by Surekha’s daughter and how the party leaders answered the matter, it soon turned into a political dispute of demands for disciplinary action.
Konda Surekha’s removal from the Cabinet is a major political setback for her. She had declared her wish to stay as Minister and defended her record in government.
The next few days could see more development as the Congress leadership deals with the fallout of the decision. The removal and the changes to government positions are just one step in a much wider strategy of the Telangana leadership to address internal divisions and maintain organisational discipline.
The developments will be closely watched in Telangana as Revanth Reddy government moves forward after the Cabinet change and the latest appointments.
