Konda Surekha’s letters to Congress high command surface on day of cabinet exit
Letters written by Konda Surekha to five top Congress leaders nearly two weeks ago surfaced on Thursday, the same day Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy recommended her removal from the Telangana cabinet, revealing that she had already taken her grievances to the party's national leadership before the public fallout over her daughter's remarks escalated.
The representations, dated August 23 and addressed individually to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretary KC Venugopal, CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, were not public knowledge until they began circulating on Thursday, coinciding with her dismissal from the Council of Ministers.
In the letters, Surekha alleged sustained political and administrative suppression as a BC woman minister. She said decisions concerning her departments, Forest, Environment and Endowments, were increasingly being taken through direct instructions from the Chief Minister's Office without consulting her, reducing her role to what she called a "nominal" one.
She said she was not informed about the constitution of the Yadadri Temple Trust Board despite being the Endowments Minister. She said funds released by her department for the Sammakka-Saralamma Temple's development were transferred to the Roads and Buildings Department within a day, without her knowledge. She also said her photograph was excluded from the state government's official advertisements for Sri Rama Navami this year.
Surekha said her former OSD Sumanth was removed from his post without her being informed, and that police subsequently came to her official residence seeking to arrest him. She said he now faces a second non-bailable case she believes lacks adequate evidence.
She alleged Warangal East, her constituency, was being denied development funds sanctioned for neighbouring constituencies, citing delays in the Warangal Smart City Model Bus Stand and the Bondi Vagu expansion. She said Station Ghanpur MLA Kadiyam Srihari held a review meeting with Endowments Department officials without her involvement, and that no action was taken despite her objection to the party leadership.
Surekha contrasted Revanth Reddy's public statement that the decision on whether Jagga Reddy would contest from Sangareddy rested with the high command, against the Chief Minister's own public campaigning at Parkal for sitting MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy's renomination, calling it evidence of unequal political standards within the party.
She argued it was inappropriate to hold a mother accountable for the personal remarks of an adult daughter, and said she believed she was being selectively targeted as a BC woman leader while similar remarks by other leaders against the Chief Minister had gone unaddressed.
Each letter states a pen drive containing "relevant videos and other supporting materials" was enclosed for the leadership's reference.
Surekha did not threaten to quit the party in the letters, stating her faith in the Congress leadership remained unwavering. Eleven days after she wrote them, she was formally dropped from the cabinet, with Revanth Reddy sending a recommendation for her removal to the Governor.
