Konda Surekha meets Kharge amid ‘CM comments’ row

Hyderabad: Amid mounting pressure from over 20 party MLCs, MLAs and a couple of ministers to take stringent action against her and her daughter K Sushmitha, endowments minister Konda Surekha rushed to Bengaluru and met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday.She is reported to have explained to him that a section of party leaders were targeting her although she had not made any adverse comments against chief minister A Revanth Reddy or the party. She said there was a conspiracy behind a section of party leaders seeking her ouster from the cabinet and that it should be enquired thoroughly to know who was behind it.Sources told TOI that Kharge told her that it was wrong to speak against the chief minister and make unilateral claims on contesting from any constituency as it is the AICC’s election committee that decides the party tickets and candidates. Sushmitha had accused CM Revanth of handing over deals on a platter to his brothers and announced that she would contest from Parkal assembly seat.Konda Surekha’s meeting with the AICC president assumed significance as CM Revanth Reddy is returning to the city on Monday after completing his UK tour. The party leaders are mounting pressure on the CM also to take action against Konda Surekha too as she did not condemn her daughter’s comments against the CM despite being a minister in Revanth’s cabinet.The talk in party circles is that Konda Surekha rushed to meet Kharge as her attempts to meet deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka did not yield results. On the other hand, Telangana Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud had said that he cannot help anyone including K Sushmitha or Konda Surekha as the party will not tolerate indiscipline and anti-party activities.TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud has warned that strict action will be taken against any Congress leader who crosses the party line or violates party discipline. “Leaders facing any issues should raise them with the TPCC president or AICC in charge Meenakshi Natarajan or AICC general secretary K C Venugopal in New Delhi. There is a set procedure and the party has various committees to address such matters,” he said, advising party leaders against making public criticism that goes beyond the party line.Mahesh Kumar Goud said action against minister Konda Surekha would be considered after the AICC disciplinary committee completes its examination. He clarified that the Congress was not a dictatorial party like the BRS or BJP and that there was democratic freedom within the party to express views.Meanwhile, the all India OBC association extended their support to Konda Surekha and said she is being targeted because she is a BC community leader and a woman. “Notices were served on her for comments made by her daughter while no notices have been issued on Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy, who keeps commenting against the Congress govt,” a leader of the association said.