Konda Surekha skips cabinet meet after police visit to her home
HYDERABAD: A late-night police visit to the Jubilee Hills residence of endowments minister Konda Surekha on Wednesday sparked political turbulence within the ruling Congress, reviving factional tensions in Warangal district.
According to officials, Hyderabad police task force personnel in plain clothes arrived at the minister’s home to detain N Sumanth, her recently terminated officer on special duty (OSD). Though no First Information Report (FIR) had been filed, their unannounced entry provoked strong protests from the minister’s family.
Police visit stirs controversy
Surekha’s daughter Sushmitha Patel said she confronted the officers as they had no warrant. “Sumanth was terminated a day ago on administrative grounds, and we did not object. But how could police come home without a warrant to pick him up?” she told reporters. Surekha reportedly left the house with Sumanth, refusing to allow his detention.
Police sources said they were seeking to verify “confidential information” alleging that Sumanth had tried to extort money from representatives of Deccan Cements in Huzurnagar using a weapon. “We only wanted to confirm the authenticity of the tip-off. No case has been filed yet,” a senior officer said.
Political rift deepens
Surekha did not attend Thursday’s cabinet meeting or chief minister A Revanth Reddy’s visit to Hanumakonda, where he offered condolences to Narsampet MLA Dontireddy Madhava Reddy on his mother’s death. Her absence fuelled speculation of a widening rift.
Party insiders say the episode has reopened the long-standing rivalry between the Konda family and Madhava Reddy, a close ally of the chief minister. The tension is also linked to disputes over allocations in the Medaram Jatara project between Surekha and revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy.
Allegations of targeting
Sushmitha alleged that the police action was part of a larger attempt to frame her father, former MLC Konda Murali. She claimed the chief minister’s aide Rohin Reddy had recently called Sumanth to his office in the presence of Deccan Cements officials. “Now they want to extract a forced confession to implicate my father,” she alleged, accusing Revanth Reddy, his advisor Vem Narender Reddy, Rohin Reddy and minister Srinivas Reddy of “targeting BC ministers like my mother.”
She also alleged that Srinivas Reddy had pressured her mother to withdraw a ₹71-crore endowments department tender despite being the lowest bidder.
Denials and damage control
Rohin Reddy denied the allegations, saying Sumanth had “occasionally visited” but that he had no role in the Deccan Cements matter. “I am open to any probe,” he said. Government sources clarified that no security cover had been withdrawn from Surekha’s Warangal home.
Konda Murali also dismissed talk of rebellion, saying, “We have no differences with the chief minister.” Deputy commissioner of police YVS Sudheendra, whose team visited Surekha’s residence, was unavailable for comment.
