Congress mulls disciplinary action against Telangana leaders after Revanth-Venugopal meet
CM Revanth Reddy met K.C. Venugopal amid indications that Congress may act against Konda Surekha and G. Chinna Reddy over recent remarks.
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy met AICC general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal in New Delhi on Tuesday for nearly an hour, amid indications that the Congress leadership is weighing disciplinary action against Minister Konda Surekha and senior party leader G. Chinna Reddy.
The meeting is understood to have focused primarily on Ms. Surekha and the political fallout of recent developments surrounding her. Mr. Revanth Reddy is learnt to have conveyed that disciplinary action was necessary to prevent the issue from affecting the image and functioning of the state government.
The Chief Minister reportedly noted that Ms. Surekha had been given considerable leeway in the past without altering her approach. He is also understood to have pointed out that several Congress MLAs from the erstwhile Warangal district do not share cordial relations with her, adding to political complications. However, Mr. Revanth Reddy is said to have left the final decision to the AICC, expressing comfort with whatever decision is taken.
The issue concerning Mr. Chinna Reddy also came up for discussion. Despite his seniority and loyalty, his recent remarks on money in ticket distribution are understood to have caused concern within the leadership, as they could potentially hurt the AICC, particularly since the central leadership plays a decisive role in candidate selection.
Mr. Venugopal is expected to meet Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Mahesh Kumar Goud and State party affairs in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan on Wednesday to seek their views. Both are understood to be in favour of some disciplinary action against erring leaders.
No decision is expected before Thursday, with the AICC examining the political implications of any action. The leadership is particularly conscious of the sensitivities involved in acting against Ms. Surekha, a BC woman leader. Any punitive action could have wider political implications and may give an advantage to the opposition BRS and the BJP. The Congress leadership is also traditionally cautious while dealing with disciplinary issues involving women leaders, particularly when social and political considerations are involved.