Konda Surekha accuses Revanth Reddy of blackmailing Congress high command after Cabinet ouster
Synopsis
Telangana's sacked Forest Minister Konda Surekha has gone public with a striking allegation: Chief Minister Revanth Reddy blackmailed the Congress high command by threatening to quit the party unless she was removed. The charge, combined with claims of procedural irregularities in the dismissal letter, signals a factional rupture inside Telangana Congress that could complicate the party's run-up to municipal elections.
Key Takeaways
Konda Surekha was dropped from the Telangana Cabinet by Chief Minister A.
Revanth Reddy on 3 September , with a recommendation sent to the Governor .
Surekha alleged Revanth Reddy blackmailed the Congress high command, threatening to leave the party if she was not sacked.
She called the removal 'vindictive', saying no clarification was sought from her and no reason was given.
The immediate trigger was reportedly remarks made by her daughter Sushmitha against Revanth Reddy.
Surekha wrote to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge , Sonia Gandhi , and Rahul Gandhi , but said she would not seek reinstatement.
She warned fellow ministers: 'If today it is my turn, it may be your turn tomorrow.'
Telangana's sacked Forest, Environment and Endowment Minister Konda Surekha on Thursday, 3 September launched a fierce counter-offensive after Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy dropped her from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect, alleging that Revanth Reddy had blackmailed the Congress high command to secure her removal. The ouster, confirmed by the Chief Minister's Office, which said a recommendation had already been dispatched to the Governor, has exposed a sharp factional fault line within Telangana's ruling party.
The Blackmail Allegation
Surekha alleged that Revanth Reddy threatened the high command, warning that he would quit the party if she was not sacked. She claimed the Congress leadership had no original intention to drop her, and that the decision was forced through coercion. Calling the move a 'vindictive action', she said she was removed without being asked for any clarification and without any reason being assigned.
She further alleged that the letter sent to the Governor recommending her removal lacked a proper letterhead and signature — a procedural irregularity she said underscored the haste and irregularity of the action.
Surekha's Broader Charges
The Warangal district legislator alleged a coordinated campaign against her, naming Revanth Reddy's brothers, minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, MP Vem Narender Reddy, and former Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders as having jointly targeted her and her former OSD Sumanth. She charged that her ministerial powers had been systematically curtailed through interference in her department by MLA Kadiyam Srihari.
Surekha also drew a contrast with other Congress leaders, alleging that senior figures such as Mallu Ravi and Jaipal Reddy had previously made remarks against Indira Gandhi yet faced no action and continued to hold party positions.
The Daughter Controversy
The immediate trigger for Surekha's removal is widely reported to be remarks made by her daughter Sushmitha against Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. Surekha defended her daughter, saying she was a married and independent woman and that there was no basis for holding the minister accountable for her daughter's speech. She invoked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's repeated public calls for women and young girls to speak fearlessly, arguing her daughter had done precisely that.
Surekha said she would not ask the high command to reverse the decision, but released to the media copies of letters she had sent to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and other top party leaders.
Warning to Other Ministers
Surekha issued a pointed warning to Congress colleagues still in the cabinet, saying, 'If today it is my turn, it may be your turn tomorrow,' and urged discontented ministers and MLAs to speak openly. She claimed other members of the council were privately unhappy but had not yet voiced their concerns.
On a conciliatory note, she said she was proud that her tenure had resulted in three women from backward classes securing key appointments — Gadwal Vijayalakshmi as Vice Chairperson of the Telangana Planning Board, Nerella Sharada as Chairperson of the Telangana State Commission, and G. Sudha Rani as Chairperson of the Kakatiya Urban Development Authority (KUDA). She also objected to the removal of Dr G. Chinna Reddy as Vice Chairperson of the Telangana Planning Board as collateral fallout from her own ouster.
What Comes Next
Surekha stopped short of announcing a rebellion but advised the party to undertake 'course correction' ahead of upcoming municipal corporation elections. With factional tensions now public, the Congress leadership in Hyderabad faces pressure to manage the fallout before it damages the party's standing in local polls.
Point of View
If it gains traction, puts the high command in an uncomfortable position: either it confirms it was coerced, or it implicitly endorses the dismissal as its own decision. Neither answer is comfortable. More telling is Surekha's refusal to seek reinstatement while simultaneously releasing her letters to the top leadership — a move calibrated to keep pressure on without triggering immediate disciplinary action. With municipal elections approaching, the Congress in Telangana cannot afford a public display of exactly the kind of internal impunity Surekha is describing.
NationPress
3 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Konda Surekha removed from the Telangana Cabinet?
Konda Surekha was dropped from the Telangana Council of Ministers by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on 3 September, with a recommendation sent to the Governor. The removal is widely reported to have been triggered by remarks made by her daughter Sushmitha against Revanth Reddy, though Surekha herself was not given a formal reason.
What is Konda Surekha's blackmail allegation against Revanth Reddy?
Surekha alleged that Revanth Reddy threatened the Congress high command that he would leave the party if she was not removed from the Cabinet. She claimed the high command had no intention of dropping her and was coerced into the decision.
What procedural irregularities did Surekha allege in her dismissal?
Surekha alleged that the letter sent to the Governor recommending her removal lacked a proper letterhead and signature. She also said she was given no opportunity to provide clarification and no reason was assigned for her ouster.
Who did Surekha write to after her removal?
Surekha wrote to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and other top Congress leaders. She released copies of these letters to the media but said she would not ask the high command to reverse its decision.
What is the political significance of Surekha's ouster for Telangana Congress?
The public fallout exposes factional tensions within Telangana's ruling Congress party ahead of municipal corporation elections. Surekha's warning to fellow ministers — that 'if today it is my turn, it may be your turn tomorrow' — signals wider discontent that could complicate the party's electoral preparations.
