Revanth’s Parkal remarks widen rift in Warangal Congress; Sushmitha challenges CM

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s announcement that sitting MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy would contest again from Parkal has sparked a fresh row in the Warangal Congress. Endowments Minister Konda Surekha’s camp, which has been projecting her daughter Sushmitha as candidate, reacted sharply.

Warangal: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s recent visit to Parkal in Warangal and comments he made, instead of doing any good to the party, have widened the rift in the district Congress that has already fallen apart due to groupism.

It might be recalled that Revanth Reddy visited Parkal last Sunday to launch development works and addressing a public meeting stated that the sitting MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy would contest again from Parkal in the upcoming elections and urged people to bless him.

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His statement has triggered unrest in Endowment Minister Konda Surekha’s camp as the Minister and her husband, ex-MLC Konda Murali have repeatedly announced plans to field their daughter, Sushmitha, from the Parkal constituency in the upcoming Assembly elections.

The followers of Surekha and Murali have expressed anger at the Chief Minister over his remarks and questioned how he could announce candidature of Prakash Reddy unilaterally, without the consent from the party high command.

Meanwhile, Susmitha, sharing her political ambitions on social media posted a story on her Instagram account with a caption ‘Upcoming Parkal MLA.’ As her social media post has stirred up a storm in the Congress party; addressing a gathering at Geesugonda where her mother Surekha’s birthday celebrations were held on Wednesday, Sushmitha took Revanth Reddy head-on.

She challenged the Chief Minister stating that she would contest for Parkal MLA seat and dared either Prakash Reddy or Revanth Reddy’s grandfather to come and contest in the elections. Political critics here see her statement as a bold resistance to Revanth’s Reddy’s authority.

Reacting sharply to Revanth Reddy’s statement that he would remain Chief Minister for ten years, Sushmitha pointed out that even the former Chief Minister late YS Rajasekhara Reddy had not made such a claim.

She reminded him that he had lost the election as an MLA in Kodangal and advised him not to forget that fact. She also hit at Chief Minister’s close aide Vem Narendar Reddy alleging that he is teaching Revanth Reddy’s younger brother how to loot by setting up a shell company worth Rs 200 crore.

While this development caused a commotion in the district Congress, Hanamkonda district Congress president Engala Venkatram Reddy stated that he would be in the fray for Parkal seat in the next Assembly elections.

Although he had aspired to contest from Parkal in the 2018 and 2023 elections, he stepped aside both times in view of the party high command’s decision. He expressed confidence that his name would certainly be in the fray from Parkal this time.

The Congress leaders in the district are feeling that Revanth Reddy with his comments at Parkal stirred up a hornet’s nest and its repercussions would be felt until the next Assembly elections affecting the party’s poll prospects.