Telangana Congress leader Konda Surekha was removed from the state Council of Ministers on Thursday, days after her daughter Konda Sushmita publicly criticised Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy over the selection of a Congress candidate in the Parkal constituency. Surekha, who held the Forest and Endowments portfolios, described her removal as a conspiratorial action and maintained that she should not be held responsible for her daughter's political remarks.

The controversy began after Sushmita objected to the reported decision to back sitting MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy from Parkal. She challenged the Chief Minister's authority to decide the party's candidate and indicated that she would contest the election independently if necessary. Her remarks drew strong reactions from Congress leaders and legislators, prompting the party to seek an explanation from Surekha.

Surekha maintained that she had neither criticised the Congress party nor Revanth Reddy and argued that family relationships should not make her accountable for another person's political opinions. She also alleged that the disciplinary action was intended to settle a personal grudge. According to Surekha, she had approached senior Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, to clarify that she did not endorse her daughter's remarks.

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After her removal, Surekha also alleged that the Chief Minister had pressured the Congress high command to act against her. She claimed that the party leadership itself did not intend to remove her but alleged that Revanth Reddy had threatened to step down if action was not taken against her. The former minister further pointed to past instances involving Congress leaders who had publicly criticised senior party figures but continued in their positions.

The disciplinary proceedings followed a show-cause notice issued to Surekha after her daughter's remarks. Surekha argued that the Parkal issue was linked to a long association with the constituency, where she and her family had political interests, and questioned the decision to announce a candidate without wider consultation. She also criticised the manner in which the action was taken, arguing that she should have been given a final opportunity to respond before being removed.

Despite losing her ministerial position, Surekha indicated that she would remain with the Congress. She highlighted her nearly three decades of association with the party and maintained that neither she nor her family intended to leave it. The episode has exposed tensions within the Telangana Congress over candidate selection in Parkal and the political fallout from public criticism of the state leadership.

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