Telangana Congress Rift Deepens as Party Acts Over 'Anti-CM' Remarks

Hyderabad: The Telangana Congress is facing fresh internal tensions after the party initiated disciplinary action against leaders over remarks considered critical of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. The latest dispute has emerged around the Parkal Assembly constituency, where competing political ambitions have exposed differences within the ruling party. The controversy intensified after Revanth Reddy visited Parkal and publicly backed sitting Congress MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy for another term. The move reportedly disappointed supporters of Konda Sushmita, daughter of Telangana minister Konda Surekha, who is also seeking a political role in the constituency.

Sushmita subsequently made critical remarks about the chief minister and questioned the decision concerning the Parkal seat. She also indicated that she could consider contesting independently if she was not given the Congress ticket. The comments prompted the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee's disciplinary committee to seek an explanation from Konda Surekha. The minister has reportedly been given three days to respond to the notice.

The party's action comes as the Telangana Congress attempts to prevent internal disagreements from becoming public factional disputes. Disciplinary committee chairman Mallu Ravi has indicated that the leadership is examining the remarks and could take further action depending on the response. The Parkal issue has also attracted interest from other Congress leaders, with Hanamkonda district Congress president Engala Venkatram Reddy reportedly expressing his intention to contest from the constituency. This has made the question of the party's eventual candidate increasingly sensitive.

Telangana Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud has stressed that individual leaders cannot decide or announce their own candidature and that election tickets will be determined through the party's established process. The disciplinary action is not limited to the Parkal controversy. The party has also sought explanations from other leaders over alleged anti-party statements, indicating a broader attempt to strengthen discipline within the state organisation.

For the Revanth Reddy-led government, keeping the party's different factions together will remain an important political challenge. Public disagreements over candidate selection can quickly develop into wider organisational disputes, particularly when senior leaders and their supporters become involved. The immediate focus is now on Konda Surekha's response to the disciplinary notice and whether the Congress leadership can resolve the Parkal dispute internally. If the disagreement continues in public, it could further expose the factional differences within the Telangana Congress.