Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has decided to remove state Forest and Endowments Minister Konda Surekha from his Cabinet amid an ongoing political controversy involving remarks made by her daughter against the chief minister and other Congress leaders.
The Chief Minister's decision was announced on Thursday, with a recommendation to remove Surekha from the Council of Ministers sent to Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, according to a release from the Chief Minister's Office.
Surekha had been facing pressure after her daughter made critical comments about Revanth Reddy and other leaders. The remarks triggered a strong reaction from several Congress MLAs and party functionaries, who demanded disciplinary action against the minister.
The latest development follows a series of discussions between Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Telangana Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud with senior Congress leaders in Delhi. The leaders reportedly met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal to discuss the matter.
The Congress state disciplinary committee had earlier recommended strict action against both Surekha and G Chinna Reddy.
Surekha had met Kharge and AICC in-charge of Telangana affairs Meenakshi Natarajan in Delhi and presented her side of the issue. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, she said she had requested the party leadership to allow her to continue as a minister.
Surekha maintained that she had performed well in the Cabinet and faced no allegations of corruption. She also questioned the demand from some Congress MLAs for disciplinary action against her, claiming that the legislators were not acting voluntarily and suggesting that someone was influencing them.
However, she declined to identify anyone, saying that naming the person could create another controversy. She also demanded disciplinary action against the MLAs who had spoken against her.
On her daughter's comments, Surekha said her daughter was an independent individual and that she should not be held responsible for what her daughter said. She also said she had written to senior Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Along with Surekha's removal, the government also rescinded the appointment of G Chinna Reddy as Vice Chairman of the Telangana State Planning Board.
Gadwal Vijayalakshmi, who currently heads the Telangana State Women's Commission, has been appointed as the new Vice Chairperson of the Planning Board. Congress leader Nerella Sharada is the chairperson of the Women's Commission.
In another change, former MP G Sudha Rani has been appointed Chairperson of the Kakatiya Urban Development Board (KUDA) in Warangal.
The Cabinet reshuffle and related appointments come as the Telangana Congress leadership attempts to contain the internal dispute and maintain discipline within the ruling party.
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