Hyderabad, Sep 2026 : The Congress high command has reportedly decided to remove Telangana Minister for Forest, Environment and Endowment Konda Surekha from the state Cabinet following a controversy involving remarks made by her daughter against Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.
According to party sources, the Congress leadership has asked Surekha to resign after the Disciplinary Committee of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) recommended strong action over what it termed indiscipline. Sources also indicated that the party leadership has prepared a contingency plan to remove her from the Cabinet if she declines to step down voluntarily.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is expected to communicate the decision to Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla after returning from New Delhi later on Thursday.
However, people close to Surekha have rejected the claim that she has been asked to resign. They said no such direction had been conveyed to the minister and maintained that she had committed no wrongdoing. Surekha has also continued to defend her position, arguing that there is no justification for her resignation.
The reported decision followed a crucial meeting held by AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal with senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on Thursday. The meeting came after several rounds of discussions involving the Telangana leadership over the past three days.
The developments come against the backdrop of a series of meetings between senior Telangana Congress leaders and the party’s central leadership. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Telangana Congress president Mahesh Kumar Goud and Surekha separately met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Revanth Reddy and Goud also held discussions with Venugopal, while Surekha met AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natrajan. Following her meeting, Surekha told reporters that she had conveyed her position and concerns to the party leadership.
The minister has argued that she is being treated unfairly and has repeatedly highlighted her identity as a member of the Backward Class community. She questioned whether different standards were being applied to different leaders within the party.
Surekha claimed that several Cabinet ministers belonging to other social groups were facing serious allegations and questioned what action would be taken against them. She also defended her record as a minister, stating that her performance had been satisfactory and that there were no corruption allegations against her.
The controversy intensified after the minister was served a show-cause notice over remarks made by her daughter. Surekha said she had explained in her response that her daughter is married, independent and has the right to express her own views.
“I can’t be held responsible for what she speaks,” Surekha said, objecting to the disciplinary action initiated against her over the remarks.
She also questioned the basis for the Disciplinary Committee’s decision to issue her a notice and argued that party leaders should not be held accountable for statements made independently by their adult family members.
At the same time, Surekha demanded that the Congress leadership take action against MLAs and MLCs who had allegedly spoken against her. She also called for an inquiry into those she believes were behind such statements and urged the party to identify and act against them.
The dispute has now emerged as a significant internal challenge for the Telangana Congress government. If the reported resignation demand is implemented, it could lead to further political discussions within the state unit over Cabinet representation, disciplinary standards and factional differences.
For now, there remains a clear difference between the two sides, with party sources claiming that the high command has decided to seek Surekha’s resignation, while those close to the minister insist that no such instruction has been communicated to her.
