Revanth Reddy Drops Konda Surekha From Cabinet Following Sequence of Disputes
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy decided to drop Forest Minister Konda Surekha from the Cabinet in Hyderabad following allegations made against him by her daughter, Konda Sushmitha. The exit followed a succession of administrative and political disputes that raised questions over whether the Minister was being systematically sidelined within the government.
Tensions had surfaced earlier regarding Surekha's portfolios, which included the Endowments department. Surekha publicly admitted that she had been sidelined during the awarding of tenders for the Samakka Saralamma Jathara. She alleged that Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy had bypassed her to grant works to firms that were allegedly favourable to him.
Shortly after the tender dispute settled, another issue emerged over appointments to religious bodies. The Congress government announced the appointment of Yadagirigutta Devasthanam Trust Board members without her knowledge. Surekha was kept in the dark about the selection, with the official announcement being issued while she was traveling in London.
Friction intensified when Kadiyam Srihari, a turncoat MLA from Station Ghanpur who joined from the BRS, conducted an official review meeting at the Endowments Commissioner’s Office while the Minister was absent. Surekha strongly objected to the review and demanded that the State government initiate disciplinary action against Srihari, describing the meeting as a deliberate move to undermine her ministerial authority.
The most significant flashpoint arose when Chief Minister Revanth Reddy addressed a public meeting and announced 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 declaration conflicted with the political plans of Surekha's family, as her daughter Sushmitha had been preparing to contest from Parkal.
The Chief Minister's constituency declaration bypassed the Congress party's established process of clearing and announcing candidates through party leadership. While Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Mahesh Kumar Goud openly found fault with the announcement, other senior party leaders did not raise major objections.
While none of the individual episodes conclusively proved an intentional effort to provoke or isolate Surekha, the cumulative chronology of administrative decisions, trust board appointments, and election announcements outlined the mounting rift that eventually culminated in her removal from the State Cabinet.
