Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday sacked state endowments and forests minister Konda Surekha from his cabinet, after the Congress leadership cleared her removal on disciplinary grounds.
In a communication to state governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, the chief minister has recommended removal of Surekha from the council of ministers with immediate effect, an official statement by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said.
The chief minister has also ordered cancelling the appointment of senior Congress leader and former minister G Chinna Reddy as vice-chairman of the Telangana Planning Board with immediate effect. He has been replaced by Gadwal Vijayalakshmi. Surekha, a 61-year-old five-term legislator, was issued a show-cause notice on August 20 by the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee’s disciplinary panel over her daughter Konda Sushmita’s sharp criticism of the party and the chief minister at a meeting in Warangal on August 19.
The official statement said the chief minister also approved the appointment of Nerella Sharada as chairperson of the Telangana State Commission for Women and former MP G Sudha Rani as chairperson of the Kakatiya Urban Development Authority (KUDA). Earlier reporting noted: A recommendation to this effect has been made to Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, a CMO release said.
Earlier reporting noted: Surekha, state Forest and Endowments Minister, has been in the eye of a storm following the critical remarks made by her daughter against the chief minister and other party leaders, drawing sharp responses from the ruling party MLAs and functionaries. Earlier reporting noted: Telangana CM Revanth Reddy sacks forest minister Konda Surekha Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday decided to drop his Cabinet colleague, Konda Surekha from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect, amid a row over the remarks made against him and others by the woman leader’s daughter.
Surekha claimed that her removal from the cabinet was part of a larger conspiracy hatched by leaders close to the chief minister and his brothers.
Reacting sharply to her sacking from the cabinet, the Warrangal East MLA said the Congress leadership had acted unilaterally without seeking her explanation and asked why she was being punished for remarks made by her daughter, an independent woman. “I am not worried about my dismissal from the cabinet, but what hurt me was the way it was done, without even seeking my explanation,” Surekha said, speaking to reporters at her residence in Hyderabad. “These people also conspired against my followers, particularly my former officer on special duty (OSD) Sumanth and got him arrested in a fabricated case,” she said.
