Daughter’s Remarks Are Personal, I Am Not Responsible: Konda Surekha

Telangana Minister Konda Surekha has sought the withdrawal of a show-cause notice issued by the TPCC Disciplinary Action Committee, arguing that she cannot be held responsible for political remarks made by her daughter Konda Sushmitha Patel, whose growing political ambitions have now become a source of friction within the ruling Congress.

Surekha submitted a detailed explanation to TPCC Disciplinary Action Committee chairman Dr. Mallu Ravi, maintaining that Sushmitha’s statements were entirely her own views and that she had no role in making or endorsing them. The minister said she should not be asked to explain comments made independently by another individual simply because the person happens to be her daughter.

The controversy centres on Sushmitha’s growing claim over the Parkal Assembly constituency. She has been seeking to make her electoral debut from Parkal and had already announced earlier this year that she intended to contest the seat in the next Assembly elections.

Sushmitha is the daughter of Surekha and former MLC Konda Murali, a prominent political family from the Warangal region. Although she has not yet held an elected position, she has increasingly emerged as a political voice within the Konda camp and has openly expressed her intention to enter electoral politics.

The latest confrontation followed Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s backing of sitting Parkal Congress MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy for another term. At a public gathering in Geesugonda on August 19, Sushmitha reportedly asserted that she would contest the next election from Parkal even if the Congress denied her a ticket. She also challenged the Chief Minister’s authority over the selection of candidates for the constituency.

Her remarks triggered a sharp response from the party organisation, with the TPCC disciplinary panel seeking an explanation from Surekha. The issue has acquired significance because it comes amid continuing disagreements over the political future of Parkal and Sushmitha’s efforts to establish herself as a political contender.

Sushmitha has also previously made public allegations about the treatment of her family within the Congress, indicating that tensions between the Konda camp and sections of the party leadership have been building for some time.

Against this backdrop, Surekha has sought to separate her political responsibility from her daughter’s statements. In her letter to the disciplinary committee, she reiterated her respect for Congress rules and discipline but maintained that there was no justification for holding her accountable for remarks in which she had no involvement.

Surekha therefore urged the disciplinary committee to withdraw the show-cause notice, stressing that family ties should not be treated as grounds for imposing political responsibility for another person’s statements.