Telangana Congress issues a notice to Minister Konda Surekha after her daughter, Konda Sushmita, challenged CM Revanth Reddy's support for the Parkal MLA, reviving a factional dispute within the party's Warangal unit.
Parkal Candidature Sparks Fresh Dispute
The latest dispute centres on the Parkal Assembly constituency. During a recent programme in the constituency, Revanth Reddy publicly backed sitting MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy and appealed to voters to support him again in the next election. The remarks angered the Konda camp, which has been projecting Sushmita as a prospective candidate from Parkal. Sushmita subsequently challenged the Chief Minister's position and said she was prepared to contest from Parkal even as an independent candidate if necessary. She also questioned the move to project a candidate for the next election well in advance.
Sushmita has also raised questions over the representation of Backwards Classes within the Congress and alleged that BC leaders were being sidelined. She has made several other allegations against the Chief Minister and members of his political camp. Those allegations have not been independently established and are being reported as claims made by Sushmita.
Past Controversies Resurface
The latest confrontation has revived memories of a similar controversy in October 2025, when Sushmita publicly accused Revanth Reddy and other senior Congress leaders of targeting her family. That episode followed a police visit to Konda Surekha's Jubilee Hills residence in connection with her former Officer on Special Duty, N. Sumanth. Sumanth had been removed from his position amid allegations of corruption and extortion. Sushmita confronted the police and subsequently alleged that the action against Sumanth was part of a conspiracy against her family. At the time, Sushmita alleged that Revanth Reddy, his then adviser Vem Narender Reddy and Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy were involved in a conspiracy against her mother. She also accused sections of the Congress leadership of targeting BC leaders. These allegations were not independently established.
The October controversy was also linked to a dispute over works for the Medaram Jathara. Sushmita accused Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy of interfering in the tender process involving works valued at around Rs 71 crore and alleged that the project was subsequently shifted from Surekha's department. These were allegations made during the political dispute and were not established as wrongdoing. The controversy eventually attracted the attention of the Congress high command, with the party seeking to address the growing differences within the Telangana unit. Surekha and her husband Konda Murali later met Revanth Reddy amid the dispute.
Political Stakes and Future Implications
The present dispute, however, is centred primarily on Parkal. The Konda family has been seeking a political role for Sushmita in the constituency, while Revanth Reddy has publicly backed Revuri Prakash Reddy. Sushmita's decision to challenge that position has brought the differences within the Warangal Congress into the open once again.
The disciplinary notice to Surekha comes at a politically sensitive time for the Telangana Congress. While the immediate issue is Sushmita's remarks over the Parkal candidature, the episode has revived broader differences between the Konda camp and the Chief Minister. For the Congress leadership, the challenge will be to contain the dispute before it develops into another prolonged factional confrontation in the Warangal region. For the Konda family, Sushmita's public challenge indicates that the contest over Parkal and the family's political position within the Telangana Congress is likely to remain a contentious issue. The allegations made by Sushmita against Revanth Reddy and other Congress leaders remain allegations and have not been independently established.
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