Telangana Congress – Artifex.News

Congress’s signal in dismissing Konda Surekha from Telangana Cabinet

admin — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 11:12:00 +0000

Konda Surekha
| Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT

The dismissal of Endowments Minister Konda Surekha from the Telangana Cabinet is among the strongest political and disciplinary decisions taken by the Congress government since it came to power, and sends a clear message that continued indiscipline will eventually invite action irrespective of a leader’s political identity or social background.

For nearly a year, Ms. Surekha was given considerable latitude despite a series of controversies that periodically embarrassed the government and the Congress. The party appeared reluctant to take an extreme step against a senior woman leader and a prominent face from Backward Classes (BC).

The decision to finally recommend her removal suggests that the leadership felt the political cost of allowing the conduct to continue had become greater than the embarrassment of dropping her.

What makes the decision particularly significant is that Congress governments in recent times have generally avoided taking such a harsh step against their own senior colleagues. The Telangana leadership too had largely managed to insulate the government from statements and actions by some of its own leaders.

Rajgopal Reddy’s uncomfortable questions

Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy, for instance, had raised uncomfortable questions on several occasions. But his statements were largely interpreted in the context of the political understanding under which he had returned to Congress from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). His grievance was seen more as being directed at the Delhi leadership over the Cabinet assurance reportedly made to him before the Assembly elections rather than as a direct challenge to the functioning of the Telangana government.

The Surekha episode was different. Her conduct increasingly came to be viewed as an issue of discipline and the authority of the Chief Minister himself.

Series of controversies involving Konda Surekha

Ms. Surekha had been controversial for some time. The episode involving her OSD Sumanth and the behaviour of her daughter Sushmita when the police attempted to arrest him over allegations of threatening a businessman for money, had already caused some damage to the government’s image.

The latest controversy, however, appears to have crossed a political red line; Ms. Sushmita’s comments questioning the authority of the Chief Minister were particularly difficult for the party to overlook. Ms. Surekha’s silence on those remarks was perceived within the Congress as tacit approval rather than an attempt to distance herself from them. That was effectively the final trigger.

The party also appears to have been careful about following the prescribed disciplinary process before acting. The disciplinary committee conducted an inquiry and submitted its report, providing the leadership with a formal basis for proceeding against her. Some senior Ministers are learnt to have made efforts to save Ms. Surekha and avoid the embarrassment of removing a Minister from the Cabinet. But the All India Congress Committee (AICC) eventually appeared unwilling to make another concession.

Ms. Surekha’s political defence increasingly took on a social justice dimension. She questioned whether she was being targeted because she was a woman from Backward Classes and sought to position the action against her as an issue of representation.

The Congress response appears to have been politically calculated. The government has sought to blunt that argument by simultaneously giving important positions to BC women leaders. Gadwal Vijayalakshmi has been appointed Vice-Chairperson of the Telangana State Planning Board with Cabinet rank, while Nerella Sharada has been appointed Chairperson of the Telangana State Commission for Women.

Former MP G. Sudha Rani’s appointment as Kakatiya Urban Development Authority (KUDA) Chairperson adds another prominent woman leader from the Warangal region to the government’s institutional structure. She belongs to the Padmashali community, to which Ms Surekha also belongs.

The government can therefore argue that the action against one leader should not be equated with a reduction in representation for BC women. The appointments also fit into the broader political narrative projected by the Revanth Reddy government, which portrays women and BCs as being given greater representation.

The government has highlighted the appointment of a woman as Vice-Chairperson of the Planning Board as a first in the State’s history and contrasted its record with the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) regime, which, it argues, did not provide adequate representation to women in ministerial and corporation Chairperson positions.

Another important dimension

There is another important dimension to the episode. The induction of Ministers is largely an AICC decision, with the Chief Minister having a relatively limited role in the final selection. Therefore, the removal of a Cabinet member cannot be seen simply as a personal decision of Mr. Revanth Reddy. It represents a larger Congress leadership decision on how far individual Ministers can go in publicly challenging the government and party leadership.

For Mr. Revanth Reddy, the episode also reinforces the authority of the Chief Minister at a time when the government is approaching the midpoint of its term. The message to Ministers and legislators is that political differences and individual ambitions may be accommodated, but publicly questioning the authority of the government or the party’s central leadership has limits.

Published – September 03, 2026 04:41 pm IST

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Indian Student In US Didn’t Halt At Stop Sign, Crashes Into Truck, Dies

admin — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 06:54:38 +0000

Mohammed Wajid, a 28-year-old student from Hyderabad, died in a road accident in Plymouth County of Massachusetts in the USA on January 28. Mr Wajid, a native of the Khairatabad area in Hyderabad, was a member of the NRI Minority Congress Committee in the USA. He completed his master’s degree in Chicago.

The accident occurred when Mr Wajid, driving a semi-truck, failed to stop at the posted stop sign at an intersection and collided with a truck hauling grain. Mr Wajid’s vehicle struck the rear of the grain causing it to split in half, explained the Iowa State Patrol. Mr Wajid was declared dead at the hospital. Timothy Wilkin driving the other truck was unhurt.

The incident took place at 12:42 and caused a fire in nearby fields.

Telangana Congress Secretary Mohammed Shahabuddin shared the news on X (formerly Twitter) and expressed condolences. “Today is a sad day for me and our entire Congress family. We’ve lost a dear friend and colleague, Mohammed Wajid, in a tragic accident in Chicago, USA. Wajid was an active leader of the Youth Congress in Khairatabad Division and a member of the NRI Minority Congress Committee in the USA. His passion, energy, and dedication to our organization will be deeply missed,” he wrote.

Mr Shahabuddin shared a picture of Mr Wajid with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. “Rest in peace, dear Wajid. Your memory will live on in our hearts,” he signed off.

#VerySadNews #GoneTooSoon
Today is a sad day for me and our entire Congress family. We’ve lost a dear friend and colleague, Mohammed Wajid, in a tragic accident in Chicago, USA.

Wajid was an active leader of the Youth Congress in Khairatabad Division and a member of the NRI… pic.twitter.com/AA1uWEafmA

— Mohammed shahabuddin (@mshahab31) January 29, 2025

Last month, 26-year-old Naga Sri Vandana Parimala, who was reportedly pursuing a Master of Science at the University of Memphis, was killed in a road accident in the US. A daughter of a businessman in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district, Ms Parimala had moved to the US in 2022 for higher studies.

The accident occurred when their car collided with another vehicle just after midnight Friday in Memphis, a city in the US state of Tennessee.

Two other students – Pavan and Nikith – were injured.

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Telangana BJP Manifesto Panel Chief Quits Party, Crosses Over To Congress

admin — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 12:00:57 +0000

Gaddam Vivekanand, who was heading the manifesto committee of Telangana BJP, crossed over to the Congress

Hyderabad:

The national executive member of the BJP, Gaddam Vivekanand, who was heading the manifesto committee of Telangana BJP, crossed over to the Congress, saying the shift was needed to end Chief Minister KCR’s rule in the state.

“We struggle for Telangana but people are not able to enjoy the benefits. Only one family has benefited, so I joined the Congress to defeat BRS and KCR,” Mr Vivekanand said.

The former MP spoke with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who is campaigning in Telangana, and the state Congress chief Revanth Reddy, who said it was a homecoming for Vivekananda, who is the son of Congressman G Venkataswamy. His brother G Vinod is the Congress candidate from Bellampalle.

There is a strong buzz that the Chennur seat has not been announced by the Congress yet with a view to accommodating Vivekanand, who may want the seat to be offered to his son.

A hint to that effect came from Revanth Reddy who said Venkataswamy’s family had a deep bond with the Gandhi family and the Congress and “we want the third generation also to be associated with the Congress”.

Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy, who made a similar jump from the BJP to the Congress, had given a similar reason for his homecoming.

“Though the BJP leaders were saying that Kavitha would be arrested in the alleged liquor scam case, that seems to have gone into cold storage, provoking criticism and belief among people that the BJP has had an understanding with the BRS. That is why I returned to the Congress, to defeat KCR,” said Mr Reddy.

The Left parties which have been in talks with the Congress for seat-sharing, refused to react on whether Vivekanand returning to the Congress could spoil the understanding on seats.

It had been reported that the CPI was being offered two seats, Chennur and Kothagudem, and the CPM was being given two.

“We will wait for two days and then take a decision,” a senior leader said.

Vivek, 66, was elected Congress MP from Peddapalli in 2009 and lost the election in 2014. He has been in and out of the BRS and Congress twice and joined the BJP in August 2019 and is back in the Congress today.

The voting for the 119-member assembly will take place on November 30. The votes will be counted on December 3.

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10 Grams Gold, Free Internet Likely In Congress Poll Manifesto In Telangana

admin — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 05:04:10 +0000

A member of the committee said the party is also planning to include free internet for students.

Hyderabad:

Ten grams of gold to eligible women at the time of marriage, besides Rs one lakh cash and free internet to students are some of the promises that are likely to figure in the Telangana Congress manifesto for the November 30 Assembly polls.

According to D Sridhar Babu, chairman of the TPCC manifesto committee, the gold is in addition to Rs one lakh cash, under the party’s ‘Mahalakshmi’ guarantee.

Presently, the BRS government, under Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak Schemes, offer one-time financial assistance of Rs 1,00,116 at the time of marriage for brides who are residents of Telangana, who have completed 18 years of age at the time of marriage and whose parental income does not exceed Rs 2 lakh per annum.

“One tula (10 gms) of gold will be given. This (gold value) comes to about Rs 50,000 to 55, 000,” Sridhar Babu told PTI.

A member of the manifesto committee said the party is also planning to include free internet for students in the manifesto.

“After coming to power we will talk to internet service providers and work out modalities,” the member said.

When contacted Sravan Dasoju, BRS spokesperson said the Congress government in Karnataka is not able to implement their poll promises and they can promise anything under the moon.

“Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, also known as KCR, is a pioneer in bringing out and implementing innovative policies and programmes for the poor which were never imagined by any other political party in independent India,” Mr Dasoju said.

He further said BRS president Rao is known for generosity and, importantly, his compassion towards the poor and downtrodden.

KCR on Sunday announced BRS manifesto promising LPG cylinder at Rs 400 and a rise in social pensions, countering the Congress party’s “six guarantees” for the Telangana polls.

Under the ‘Mahalakshmi’ guarantee, the Congress promises to provide Rs 2,500 per month financial assistance to women, LPG cylinder at Rs 500, free travel for women in TSRTC buses across the state.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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