CM Revanth Reddy Drops Forest Minister Konda Surekha From Telangana Cabinet
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has decided to drop Forest Minister Konda Surekha from the State Cabinet with immediate effect following approval from the Congress party high command. The decision to remove the Forest Minister from the council of ministers has been officially communicated to the office of Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla.
The development comes after the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee Disciplinary Committee submitted an inquiry report on August 20 to TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud. The panel recommended stern action against senior leaders for violating the party disciplinary code, triggering intense discussions at Gandhi Bhavan over the impending disciplinary measures.
The controversy began after Konda Surekha’s daughter, Konda Sushmitha, alleged that the Chief Minister had allocated prime land to his brother’s shell company at throwaway prices. Although Konda Surekha contended that she could not be held accountable for comments made by her daughter, several party MLAs strongly objected to the remarks and demanded that action be taken against her.
In related disciplinary action, the state government also rescinded the appointment of State Planning Board Vice Chairman G Chinna Reddy. Chinna Reddy had previously alleged that Wanaparthy MLA T Megha Reddy was offered an election ticket to contest the Assembly polls after being lured by money, which drew sharp criticism from within the party.
Following these controversies, the Congress high command summoned the Chief Minister, the Forest Minister, and several other ministers to discuss the matter. After a series of meetings, the party leadership approved the proposal to remove Konda Surekha from the Telangana Cabinet.
Alongside the ministerial removal, the Chief Minister’s Office announced administrative replacements. Telangana Women’s Commission Chairperson Gadwal Vijayalakshmi has been appointed as the new Vice Chairman of the State Planning Board in place of G Chinna Reddy. Consequently, Nerella Sharada has been named the new Chairperson of the Women’s Commission.
The Chief Minister also approved the appointment of former MP G Sudha Rani as the Chairperson of the Kakatiya Urban Development Authority. Konda Surekha is expected to announce her future course of action shortly, while it remains unconfirmed whether she will resign from the Congress party and her Assembly seat.
