Hyderabad: It is no secret that former minister and senior MLA Konda Surekha from the ruling Congress in Telangana had an acrimonious exit from the state Cabinet recently over public remarks against Chief Minister Revanth Reddy by her daughter. The issue is, however, deeper, with the Konda clan essentially on a warpath with Revanth Reddy’s close confidante and Rajya Sabha Vem Narender Reddy.
During a protest by the Congress against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre in Delhi, this was reportedly out in the open with Konda’s supporters holding a party flag with her name in it as a show of strength.
After her removal from the Telangana Cabinet last month, Surekha alleged there was a “blackmail” conspiracy to oust her as a minister from within the party. She alleged that the CM’s brothers, Kondal Reddy and Tirupathi Reddy, along with Vem Narender Reddy and minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy had together conspired against her. The entire row was triggered when her daughter Sushmita censured CM Revanth Reddy for publicly backed sitting MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy’s re-election bid for the Parkal constituency.
Congress leaders deny image, but say feud is known
Sushmita is herself aspiring for the seat and had questioned Revanth Reddy’s authority to decide who the party will choose. She went on to declare that she would contest as an independent if her candidature was denied.
It may be noted that Surekha, who is currently the Warangal East MLA, has been in the Congress from much before Revanth Reddy. She was also a Cabinet member in erstwhile joint Andhra Pradesh state and is one of the senior most MLAs and women leaders in the party as well.
Revanth Reddy and Vem Narender Reddy had quit the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) after it was weakened in Telangana and joined the Congress in 2018. Revanth’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric as he was almost immediately made the working president in the party and the president close to the 2023 Telangana state polls.
“It is out in the open that Konda Surekha has a problem with Vem Narender Reddy. We don’t know about the photos from Delhi as it may be AI generated as well. But this will not make a difference. She is also a senior leader but the leadership has to be respected,” said a senior leader of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) when asked about the image from Delhi.
The party, however, has not reacted nor has any leader commented on this so far. It is to be seen how the internal issue between Konda Surekha and the others plays out.
