Konda Surekha rules out Congress exit after Telangana Cabinet drop
Synopsis
Dropped from the Telangana Cabinet for indiscipline, Konda Surekha chose Warangal not as a stage for grievance but as a declaration of intent — she is staying in Congress, staying in public life, and is eyeing the Warangal Corporation polls. The episode lays bare the tension between the Congress high command's disciplinary instincts and a loyalist MLA who believes she paid the price for someone else's words.
Key Takeaways
Konda Surekha and husband Konda Murali declared on 13 September 2026 they will not leave the Congress party.
Surekha was removed from the Telangana Cabinet by Chief Minister A.
Revanth Reddy earlier this month after a show-cause notice over her daughter Konda Sushmitha's public criticism of the CM.
Speaking in Warangal , Surekha said she was unhappy with the reason for her removal, not the removal itself.
She advised supporters planning an agitation over her ouster to abide by the Congress high command's decision.
Surekha said she will contest upcoming Warangal Corporation elections and aims to win a majority of seats.
Former Telangana minister Konda Surekha and her husband Konda Murali publicly declared on Sunday, 13 September 2026 that they will not leave the Indian National Congress (Congress), days after Surekha was dropped from the Telangana Cabinet for indiscipline. The couple addressed a gathering of supporters in Warangal — their first public appearance since the sacking.
The Sacking and Its Backdrop
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy removed Surekha from the Cabinet earlier this month after the Congress high command took serious note of her response to a show-cause notice. The notice was issued following public outbursts by her daughter, Konda Sushmitha, directed at the Chief Minister. It was the first instance of a sitting minister being dropped from the Telangana government over a disciplinary matter tied to a family member's conduct.
What Surekha Said in Warangal
Surekha told supporters she was not pained by the removal itself but by the reason cited for it. 'From the MPP post, I rose to the position of a minister. Some people switch parties every day,' she remarked, taking a pointed dig at rivals she accused of opportunism. She also revealed that some supporters had been planning an agitation over her ouster, but she advised them to respect the high command's decision.
Her Political Journey and Claims
Surekha traced her political trajectory in detail, noting that she had once resigned as minister for the sake of former Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy. She alleged that certain individuals had conspired to deny her a party ticket in the past. She recalled that K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) had personally offered her the ticket from Warangal East in 2014; contesting as a Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) candidate, she defeated the then sitting Congress minister. She joined the Congress in 2018 and retained the Warangal East seat on a Congress ticket in the 2023 assembly elections.
What Comes Next
Despite losing her ministerial post, Surekha made clear she intends to remain active on the ground. She said she would not 'sit at home' but would stay among the people and contest the upcoming Warangal Corporation elections, with the aim of winning a majority of seats. Her continued presence in the Congress could complicate the party's internal dynamics in Warangal, even as the high command seeks to project unity ahead of local body polls.
Point of View
Grievance second — but the subtext is harder to miss. A minister sacked because of her daughter's remarks is a precedent with few parallels in Telangana politics, and Surekha's repeated invocation of her long record signals she feels the punishment was disproportionate. The Congress high command, for its part, faces a classic dilemma: enforcing discipline without appearing to sideline a veteran who can still deliver votes in Warangal. With Corporation elections on the horizon, how the party handles this standoff will say as much about Revanth Reddy's internal authority as about Surekha's future.
NationPress
13 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Konda Surekha dropped from the Telangana Cabinet?
Konda Surekha was removed from the Telangana Cabinet by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy after the Congress high command took serious note of her response to a show-cause notice. The notice was issued following her daughter Konda Sushmitha's public outbursts against the Chief Minister.
Did Konda Surekha say she would leave the Congress party?
No. Surekha and her husband Konda Murali explicitly stated at a Warangal public address on 13 September 2026 that they will not leave the Congress party. She said positions were never important to them and that they wanted to be remembered by people.
What did Konda Surekha say about her removal from the Cabinet?
Surekha said she was not upset about being removed from the Cabinet itself, but was unhappy over the reason cited for the action. She also said some supporters had wanted to protest her removal, but she advised them to respect the high command's decision.
What are Konda Surekha's political plans after being sacked?
Surekha declared she would not remain inactive after losing the ministerial post. She said she would stay among the people and work to win a majority of seats in the upcoming Warangal Corporation elections.
What is Konda Surekha's political background?
Surekha began her political career and rose from the MPP post to become a minister. She contested the 2014 Warangal East seat as a TRS candidate at KCR's invitation, defeating the then Congress minister. She joined the Congress in 2018 and won the same seat on a Congress ticket in the 2023 Telangana assembly elections.
