Telangana minister sacked from cabinet amid row over daughter's remarks against CM

A political row over remarks by Konda Surekha's daughter escalates as Revanth Reddy moves to remove the minister, while Telangana also sees key changes in boards and commissions.Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has moved to remove state minister Konda Surekha from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect, escalating an internal Congress dispute triggered by remarks made by her daughter against the Chief Minister and other party leaders.A recommendation seeking Surekha’s removal has already been sent to Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.The move comes amid growing tensions within the Telangana Congress over comments made by Konda Surekha’s daughter, Konda Sushmita Patel, who had publicly criticised Revanth Reddy and questioned his support for Parkal MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy.ROW OVER PARKAL MLAThe controversy centres on the Parkal Assembly constituency, which Sushmita described as "Konda territory". During a recent programme in Parkal, Revanth Reddy publicly backed sitting MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy and appealed to people in the constituency to re-elect him in the next election.Sushmita subsequently hit out at the Chief Minister over his public endorsement of Prakash Reddy and questioned his decision to seek support for the MLA in what she described as Konda territory. Her remarks triggered discontent within the state Congress, with several party MLAs demanding disciplinary action against Surekha.The Congress disciplinary committee subsequently sought an explanation from the minister over the controversy.SUREKHA DISTANCES HERSELF FROM DAUGHTER'S REMARKSSurekha rejected the basis of the disciplinary notice, arguing that her daughter’s remarks were made independently and that she could not be held responsible for them.In her explanation to the TPCC Disciplinary Committee, Surekha argued that it was improper to demand political accountability from one person for the views expressed by another simply because they are related."Expecting another person to take political responsibility or demanding an explanation for someone's opinions merely due to family relations is improper," Surekha said.Asked whether she supported her daughter’s remarks, Surekha maintained that Sushmita was an independent person and should not be made responsible for her political views.Earlier, after meeting Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Telangana affairs in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan, Surekha had defended her record as a minister. She said she had emphasised her performance and argued that there were no corruption allegations against her.KEY CHANGES IN TELANGANA BOARDS AND COMMISSIONSAlongside the move to drop Surekha from the Cabinet, the Telangana administration has approved several changes in the leadership of key statutory bodies and commissions.The appointment of G Chinna Reddy as Vice Chairman of the Telangana Planning Board has been rescinded with immediate effect. Gadwal Vijayalakshmi has been designated as the new Vice Chairman of the planning board.The Chief Minister has also cleared the appointment of Nerella Sharada as Chairperson of the Telangana State Commission for Women in Hyderabad.In another change, former Rajya Sabha member Sudha Rani has been approved as the new Chairperson of the Kakatiya Urban Development Authority (KUDA).The Cabinet decision on Surekha now moves to the Governor for formal action, marking a significant escalation in the political dispute within the ruling Congress in Telangana.- EndsPublished On: Sep 3, 2026 15:03 IST