HYDERABAD: The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has given its nod to the dismissal of Konda Surekha from the Telangana cabinet on Thursday, ending nearly two weeks of political drama in the state.
A note issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has decided to drop Surekha from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect.
The decision was taken after consultations with top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Following the AICC’s decision, a formal recommendation has been sent to the governor for Surekha's removal from the cabinet.
The Lok Bhavan is expected to issue a notification to this effect within the next couple of hours, most likely before the chief minister returns to Hyderabad from Delhi this evening.
The political stir began on August 19, when Surekha’s daughter, Sushmita, levelled serious allegations against the chief minister and his brother.
In a related move, Reddy has decided to rescind the appointment of G Chinna Reddy as vice-chairman of the Telangana Planning Board with immediate effect. Gadwal Vijayalakshmi has been appointed as his replacement.
Reddy has also approved the appointment of Nrellla Sharada as chairperson of the Telangana State Commission for Women and G Sudha Rani, a former Rajya Sabha member, as chairperson of the Kakatiya Urban Development Authority (KUDA).