Revanth Reddy Drops Konda Surekha From Cabinet Following Internal Row
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has decided to drop Forest and Endowments Minister Konda Surekha from the State Cabinet in Hyderabad. The decision follows public allegations made against the Chief Minister by Surekha's daughter, Konda Sushmitha, culminating after a series of administrative and political disputes that raised questions over the Minister being sidelined within the government.
Tensions initially surfaced over the Samakka Saralamma Jathara tenders, where Surekha publicly admitted that she had been sidelined. She alleged that Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy had bypassed her authority in awarding festival works to firms allegedly favourable to him.
Following the tender dispute, the Congress government announced the appointment of Yadagirigutta Devasthanam Trust Board members without her involvement. Surekha was reportedly kept in the dark regarding the decision, as the official announcement was made while she was away in London.
A subsequent flashpoint occurred when BRS turncoat MLA from Station Ghanpur, Kadiyam Srihari, conducted an official review meeting at the Endowments Commissioner's Office in the absence of the Minister. Surekha strongly objected to the review and demanded that the State government initiate disciplinary action against Srihari, describing the meeting as a deliberate effort to undermine her ministerial standing.
The friction escalated further during a public meeting where Chief Minister Revanth Reddy declared that sitting Parkal MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy would contest from the constituency in the upcoming elections, appealing directly to the public for their support. The unilateral announcement directly conflicted with the political plans of Surekha's daughter, Konda Sushmitha, who had been preparing to contest from the same seat.
The public declaration departed from the Congress party's established convention of deciding and announcing election candidates through the central party leadership. While Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Mahesh Kumar Goud found fault with the Chief Minister's announcement, no other major objections were raised within the party ranks, ultimately leading to the sequence of events that ended in Surekha's Cabinet exit.
