Congress high command orders Konda Surekha to quit Telangana Cabinet over daughter's anti-CM remarks
Synopsis
The Congress high command has ordered Telangana minister Konda Surekha to resign after her daughter's public attacks on Chief Minister Revanth Reddy — and has reportedly prepared a dismissal plan if she refuses. The episode lays bare factional fault lines in Telangana Congress barely a year into its return to power.
Key Takeaways
Congress high command directed Konda Surekha to resign from the Telangana Cabinet on 3 September .
The move follows her daughter's public outbursts against Chief Minister A.
Revanth Reddy and a TPCC Disciplinary Committee recommendation for strong action.
The decision was taken after AICC General Secretary K.C.
Venugopal met Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi .
The high command has reportedly prepared a plan to dismiss her if she refuses to resign voluntarily.
Surekha denied wrongdoing, argued her daughter speaks independently, and demanded action against MLAs/MLCs who targeted her.
CM Revanth Reddy was expected to brief Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on the decision after returning from New Delhi .
The Congress high command has directed Telangana Cabinet minister Konda Surekha to submit her resignation following her daughter's public outbursts against Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, according to party sources in Hyderabad. The decision, taken on 3 September, comes after the Disciplinary Committee of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) recommended strong action for indiscipline.
How the Decision Was Reached
The directive emerged from a high-stakes meeting that All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary K.C. Venugopal held with senior party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, following three days of consultations with the state leadership. On Wednesday, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Konda Surekha, and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Mahesh Kumar Goud had separate meetings with AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge. Both Revanth Reddy and Goud also met Venugopal, while Surekha held a separate meeting with AICC in-charge Meenakshi Natrajan.
The Sacking Plan and Governor's Role
Party sources indicate the high command has also reportedly prepared a contingency plan to dismiss Surekha from the Cabinet should she decline to resign voluntarily. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was expected to inform Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla of the decision upon his return from New Delhi later on 3 September. Surekha holds the portfolios of Forest, Environment and Endowments in the Telangana government.
What Konda Surekha Said
Those close to the minister, however, claimed that no one had formally asked her to step down. Surekha maintained she has done nothing wrong and saw no grounds for her resignation. After her meeting with Natrajan, she told reporters she had conveyed everything she wished to party leaders.
Invoking her Backward Class identity, Surekha argued that the party was applying unequal standards. 'What action will be taken against them,' she said, referring to Cabinet colleagues from other social groups who, she alleged, face serious charges. She also defended her ministerial record, asserting there were no corruption allegations against her.
On the show-cause notice issued to her over her daughter's remarks, Surekha said in her reply that her daughter 'is married and independent and has the freedom to speak whatever she feels.' She added: 'I can't be held responsible for what she speaks.' The minister further demanded that the party serve notices to MLAs and MLCs who had spoken against her, and called for action against those she alleged were backing them.
Background and Context
This is the latest in a series of factional tensions within the Telangana Congress since the party swept to power in the state in late 2023, ending a decade of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) rule. The public discord — involving a minister's family member directly attacking the Chief Minister — represents an unusual breach of party discipline. The high command's swift intervention signals that New Delhi is unwilling to let intra-party dissent play out in the open ahead of upcoming local body polls. Whether Surekha complies or forces a dismissal will be closely watched as a test of the party's ability to enforce discipline at the state level.
Point of View
Not a manageable internal squabble. What is notable, however, is Surekha's pushback: her invocation of Backward Class identity and her counter-demand for action against other ministers suggests the underlying tensions are not just personal but rooted in caste-based factional competition within Telangana Congress. The high command risks a perception problem if it acts against Surekha swiftly while leaving unaddressed the grievances she has raised about other ministers. Telangana Congress, barely a year old in government, is already signalling that managing internal diversity is harder than winning an election.
NationPress
3 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has the Congress high command asked Konda Surekha to resign?
The Congress high command asked Telangana minister Konda Surekha to resign after her daughter made public remarks against Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, which the TPCC Disciplinary Committee flagged as indiscipline. The directive followed a series of meetings between state and central party leaders on 3 September.
What happens if Konda Surekha refuses to resign?
According to party sources, the Congress high command has reportedly prepared a contingency plan to dismiss Konda Surekha from the Telangana Cabinet if she declines to step down voluntarily. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was expected to inform Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla of the decision.
What is Konda Surekha's response to the resignation demand?
Konda Surekha has maintained she has done nothing wrong and sees no grounds for her resignation. She argued her daughter is 'married and independent' and that she cannot be held responsible for her daughter's remarks. She also demanded action against MLAs and MLCs who she said had spoken against her.
Who was involved in the high-level Congress meetings that led to this decision?
AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal met Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on Thursday. On Wednesday, CM Revanth Reddy, Konda Surekha, and TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud separately met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, while Surekha also met AICC in-charge Meenakshi Natrajan.
What is the broader political significance of this episode?
The episode exposes factional tensions within Telangana Congress barely a year after the party returned to power in the state. It is seen as a test of the high command's ability to enforce party discipline at the state level ahead of upcoming local body polls.
