Revanth Reddy Drops Konda Surekha from Telangana Cabinet Over Indiscipline
HYDERABAD — Cracking down on growing indiscipline within the ruling Telangana Congress, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday dropped Endowments and Forests and Environment Minister Konda Surekha from his cabinet. Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla approved the chief minister's recommendation to dismiss her with immediate effect, according to an official release issued by Raj Bhavan.
Simultaneously, the chief minister rescinded veteran Congress leader G Chinna Reddy's appointment as the vice-chairman of the Telangana Planning Board. In a balancing move, Revanth Reddy named three women to key positions: Gadwal Vijayalakshmi as Planning Board vice-chairperson, Nerella Sharada as chairperson of the Telangana State Commission for Women, and former Rajya Sabha MP G Sudha Rani as chairperson of the Kakatiya Urban Development Authority. Surekha had been one of only two women in the cabinet alongside Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister D Anusuya, popularly known as Seethakka.
Surekha's dismissal came barely a fortnight after her daughter, Konda Susmita, publicly criticised the chief minister for announcing that sitting Parkal MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy would be given the Congress ticket in the next assembly election. Susmita, who was herself a contender for the ticket, stated on August 19 that Revanth Reddy lacked the authority to make such a decision and levelled further allegations against him. While Surekha insisted that she could not be held responsible for her adult daughter's statements, several Congress MLAs and MLCs demanded disciplinary action against her.
The development followed previous controversies involving the minister. In October 2025, Telangana police went to Surekha's Hyderabad residence to arrest her former OSD, N Sumant, over assault and extortion allegations, where Susmita reportedly prevented the arrest and accused the chief minister of political targeting. Earlier, in October 2024, Surekha sparked controversy after linking BRS leader K T Rama Rao to a film actress, remarks for which she later apologised. A former associate of late chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, Surekha had served in his cabinet before stints in the YSR Congress and TRS, later renamed BRS, prior to returning to Congress.
Chinna Reddy's removal followed different internal friction. The four-time MLA from Wanaparthy faced disciplinary measures after alleging that the party leadership favoured turncoats over long-time loyalists, amid an ongoing feud with sitting Wanaparthy MLA T Megha Reddy. Chinna Reddy had previously led the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee's disciplinary committee before taking charge at the Planning Board.
Before her dismissal, the Congress high command had reportedly sought Surekha's resignation, but she refused to step down and travelled to Delhi on Wednesday to present her case. After meeting Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Surekha maintained that she had clarified her stance and challenged the leadership to take whatever action it saw fit. Revanth Reddy also took up the issue with AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, whose refusal to meet Surekha in Delhi had indicated that disciplinary action was imminent.