Mutiny against Konda Surekha: Six Congress MLAs ask high command to take action

It is learnt that the six MLAs on Tuesday urged the high command and the State leadership as well to take action against Surekha, citing "interference" and "misconduct" by the Minister.

Hyderabad: A major political crisis has hit the Congress in the erstwhile Warangal, with six Congress MLAs openly revolting against Minister Konda Surekha and approaching the party high command complaining that she was “interfering” in their constituencies.

It is learnt that the six MLAs on Tuesday urged the high command and the State leadership as well to take action against Surekha, citing “interference” and “misconduct” by the Minister. In their complaints, they accused Surekha of overstepping her boundaries and creating problems in various Assembly constituencies in the district. The MLAs alleged that the interference by Surekha and her followers was causing friction between local MLAs, party leaders and the cadre.

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Sources say the MLAs would be flying to Delhi on Thursday to lodge a complaint against Surekha with the party high command. They have even sought an appointment with AICC general secretary KC Venugopal. Telangana Congress party in-charge Deepa Das Munshi and TPCC chief Mahesh Kumar Goud have also expressed displeasure over the functioning of Surekha and asked her to avoid controversies.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has reportedly asked Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy to resolve the issue as the rift between party MLAs may affect the prospects of the party in the upcoming local body polls.

The Congress MLAs from Warangal claim that Surekha’s actions tarnished the party’s public image and could negatively impact its prospects in the upcoming local body and MLC elections. The Congress had won 10 assembly seats of the 12 in the erstwhile Warangal district.

Party sources say the Congress MLAs have stopped inviting Surekha to programmes held in their constituency as she was creating rifts between party workers and encouraging groupism. They complained that the Minister was trying to increase her influence in their constituencies and trying to weaken them. The clashes between Surekha’s supporters and the party’s Parkala MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy over the display of their respective leaders’ photos in flex posters on the day of Dasara at Dharmaram village in Geesugonda mandal of Warangal district, has exposed the differences between the two. Surekha occupying the chair of the Station House Officer of Geesugonda police station too did not go well with the State leadership after a video of the incident went viral.

Surekha and Prakash Reddy have been at loggerheads for some time now. In May this year, a heated phone conversation between the two went viral on WhatsApp groups. Surekha is also having a running feud with Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Seethakka, it is learned.

Surekha has also been at loggerheads for decades with Warangal West MLA and former district president Naini Rajender Reddy and Narsampet MLA Donthi Madhav Reddy, both senior Congress leaders. Station Ghanpur MLA Kadiam Srihari, who joined the Congress from BRS, too is said to have avoided calling the Minister to programmes in his assembly segment. Palakurthi MLA Yashaswini Reddy, Wardhannapet MLA KR Nagaraju, Dornakal MLA Jatoth Ramachandru Naik and Mahabubabad MLA Murali Nayak too are said to be among those not happy with Surekha’s way of functioning.