Konda Surekha Is Third Minister to Be Dismissed From Cabinet in TG
With Surekha’s dismissal, the Congress government has recorded the third instance of a minister being removed from the Telangana Cabinet.
Hyderabad: The dismissal of Konda Surekha from the Cabinet is only the third instance of a minister being removed from the Council of Ministers since the formation of Telangana in 2014. The first two instances occurred during the BRS regime, when then-Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao dropped Deputy Chief Minister and health minister T. Rajaiah in January 2015 and health minister Etala Rajender in May 2021.
Dr Rajaiah, who was part of Chandrashekar Rao’s first Cabinet, , was removed amid allegations of administrative lapses, irregularities in measures to prevent swine flu and alleged irregularities in the purchase of medical equipment. Personal reasons were also cited in reports at the time. Following his removal, Kadiam Srihari was inducted into the Cabinet and appointed Deputy Chief Minister.
Dr Rajaiah became the first minister to be dismissed from the Telangana Cabinet after the formation of the state. His removal came during the first term of the BRS government, then known as TRS. Rajaiah continues in the BRS.
The second such dismissal involved Rajender, who was removed from the Cabinet in May 2021 while serving as health minister during the Covid-19 pandemic. The action followed allegations that assigned land belonging to farmers in Achampet and Hakimpet villages in Medak district had been encroached upon by entities linked to his family’s Jamuna Hatcheries. The state government ordered an inquiry through the Medak district collector and the vigilance and enforcement department. Based on a preliminary report, Chandrashekar Rao removed Rajender from the Cabinet.
Rajender subsequently resigned from the BRS and also quit the Huzurabad Assembly seat before joining the BJP. His resignation necessitated a byelection, which he won on a BJP ticket. The victory gave the BJP a significant boost and altered the political dynamics in the State ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.
Surekha, meanwhile, was elected from the Warangal East Assembly constituency on a Congress ticket in the 2023 elections and was inducted into Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s Cabinet in Decemer 3023. She served as minister for forest and environment and endowments. Her public remarks have previously triggered political controversies, but her latest removal followed a prolonged controversy over the statements made by her daughter, besides differences with the party leadership.
With Surekha’s dismissal, the Congress government has recorded the third instance of a minister being removed from the Telangana Cabinet. Unlike Rajender, Surekha has said she will continue as an MLA like Rajaiah and has ruled out resigning from the Congress for now.
