Revanth Reddy Drops Konda Surekha From Telangana Cabinet With High Command Nod

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday decided to drop his Cabinet colleague Konda Surekha from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect, amid an escalating row over remarks made against him by the minister's daughter. According to a release from the Chief Minister's Office, the state government has forwarded a formal recommendation for Surekha's removal to Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla for approval, marking a significant reshuffle within the ruling Congress government's ministerial ranks.

Surekha, who held the Forest and Endowments portfolio, had been at the center of a political storm since August 19, when her daughter, Konda Sushmitha, publicly criticized Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Parkal MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy during a gathering held in Geesugonda, Warangal, as part of celebrations marking her mother's birthday. During her remarks, Sushmitha challenged Revanth Reddy over his public backing of sitting MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy, announcing her own intention to contest the Parkal Assembly seat in the next election, and separately leveled allegations against the chief minister and his brothers involving a land transaction worth an estimated Rs 200 crore.

The remarks triggered a strong backlash from ruling party MLAs and Congress functionaries, prompting the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) disciplinary committee, headed by Mallu Ravi, to issue a formal notice to Surekha seeking an explanation for her daughter's comments. In her response to the committee, Surekha maintained that the remarks reflected her daughter's personal views alone, stating that expecting another individual to bear political responsibility or provide an explanation for someone else's opinions simply due to family ties was inappropriate. She subsequently traveled to New Delhi, where she met with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan to present her version of events directly to the party's central leadership.

Also Read: KTR Condemns Revanth Reddy’s Offensive Remarks Citing Absolute Lack of Political Culture

Despite her defense, the TPCC disciplinary committee had already recommended her removal from the Cabinet, a recommendation that Revanth Reddy has now acted upon with Thursday's decision. The controversy adds to a series of earlier episodes involving Surekha this year, including a separate dispute in which she publicly withdrew comments alleging that BRS working president KT Rama Rao had played a role in the divorce of Tollywood actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya, after facing sharp criticism from prominent figures in the Telugu film industry, including senior actors Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna and Venkatesh.

Alongside the Cabinet reshuffle, the Telangana government also announced a series of related administrative changes, including new leadership appointments across various statutory boards and commissions in the state. The developments underscore ongoing internal tensions within the Telangana Congress unit, coming at a time when the party continues to face sustained political pressure from the opposition BRS, whose leaders have separately used the episode to intensify their criticism of the state's ruling administration. Surekha's political future within the party now remains uncertain following her removal from the Cabinet, with further developments expected as both the state unit and the party's central leadership assess the fallout from the controversy.

Also Read: Telangana Congress: Gutha Sukhender Reddy Bats For Cabinet Reshuffle and Discipline