Telangana ministers Konda Surekha and Seethakka tied a rakhi to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy at his residence in Jubilee Hills on Friday, August 28, on the occasion of the Rakhi festival, in what marked a public show of unity despite an ongoing rift within the state Congress.
The meeting was Konda Surekha’s first public appearance alongside the Chief Minister since her daughter’s remarks against him triggered a fresh political controversy in the Telangana Congress last week.
The dispute began after Revanth Reddy publicly backed sitting Parkal MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy and urged voters to support him in the next election. The Konda camp, which has for months been projecting Sushmitha as a prospective candidate from the constituency, objected to the remarks. In response, Konda Sushmitha Patel declared that she would contest from Parkal with or without a Congress ticket, and questioned the Chief Minister’s authority over candidate selection.
Following the outburst, Congress MP and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Disciplinary Committee chairman Mallu Ravi issued a notice to Konda Surekha, seeking her explanation within three days. Surekha subsequently told the disciplinary committee that her daughter’s remarks were personal and not linked to her own political stand.
Friday’s Rakhi Pournami visit brought the two leaders together publicly for the first time since the row erupted. Along with Seethakka, Surekha tied a rakhi to the Chief Minister at his official residence, observing the traditional festival even as tensions over the Parkal ticket remain unresolved within the party.
The Parkal constituency issue continues to be a point of friction in the Telangana Congress, with no announcement so far on the party’s candidate selection. Surekha’s appearance at the Chief Minister’s residence is being viewed as an attempt to ease the standoff, though the disciplinary proceedings and the leadership’s decision on the Parkal ticket are still awaited.
