No question of quitting Congress, will contest for Warangal (East) seat in next elections, says ex-minister Konda Surekha

Former minister Konda Surekha ruled out quitting the Congress after her dismissal from the Telangana Cabinet, saying she would contest the next Assembly elections from Warangal (East). She also backed her husband Konda Muralidhar Rao’s continued association with the party

Warangal: Former minister Konda Surekha on Sunday asserted that she would not quit the Congress, putting to rest speculation about her possible change of party following her recent dismissal from the State Cabinet.

Claiming that opportunistic politics had increased, she said she had received phone calls from the party high command and clarified that she was not leaving the Congress. An official post was merely ornamental, she noted.

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Surekha, along with her husband and former MLC Konda Muralidhar Rao, addressed party workers and their followers in Warangal on Sunday for the first time after she was dropped from the Cabinet. The Vinayaka Chavithi Navaratri period had not been auspicious for them, she said.

The former minister further asserted that she would contest the upcoming Assembly elections from the Congress and that she would be given the Warangal (East) ticket, barring any changes due to constituency delimitation. Konda Muralidhar Rao would soon be appointed chairman of a corporation, she said.

The Konda couple enjoyed a good reputation in undivided Andhra Pradesh, Surekha said, adding that she had never tarnished the office entrusted to her by the Congress. She warned leaders speaking about the Konda couple to be mindful of their words.

Referring to remarks made against her by party MLC Baswaraju Saraiah, Surekha said Saraiah claimed that he would contest against her and could win as an MLA. However, he should first try to win a corporator seat against her followers, she said.

Taking a dig at Warangal (West) MLA Nayini Rajender Reddy, she said that, unable to cope with former BRS MLA Dasyam Vinay Bhaskar, he used to plead with the Konda couple to attend events in the constituency.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s goal was to uplift the backward classes, Surekha said, adding that they would ensure the victory of 24 corporators in Warangal (East) in the upcoming Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation elections.

Muralidhar Rao said there was no leader who stepped forward for the BC community like they did. The Konda couple’s goal was to make Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister and they would continue with the Congress, he said.

He noted that he and Konda Surekha shared the same political stance, though their daughter Sushmitha held a different view. Corporator tickets would be given to those who worked hard and had a winning chance, he added.