Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has cancelled his US tour and is returning from London after the Centre denied him permission. The timing coincides with a deepening internal crisis in the state Congress party.
A statement from the chief minister's office said the Centre had denied permission for the CM's US tour; however, the team of officials will continue the tour and sign MoUs on behalf of the state. The CM will return on August 23. The ministry of external affairs gave permission only for the UK leg of the tour and rejected the US trip.
The statement said the CM "was shocked" by the "political denial" but was complying. "I have always believed we should all think beyond politics and elections when it comes to nation building and the future of the youth," the CM said, according to the statement.
During his UK trip, Revanth Reddy is meeting delegations from Oxford and Cambridge universities, along with other top universities and sports academies, to discuss possible collaborations.
Meanwhile, Konda Sushmita Patel, daughter of Endowments Minister Konda Surekha, publicly challenged the CM's choice of candidate for the Parakal assembly seat, declaring that she would contest and win the seat either on a Congress ticket or as an independent in the 2028 elections. Surekha, who the Congress disciplinary action committee served a show-cause notice, refused to take responsibility for her daughter's remarks, saying she could not be held accountable for her daughter's actions.
The CM has recently faced multiple attacks from the Congress old guard, unhappy about their diminished importance. Sushmita attacked the CM directly after he declared he would continue backing sitting MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy in Parakal. The Kondas have openly stated they would seek the Parakal ticket in the next assembly elections.
Addressing her mother's birthday function in Geesukonda — Surekha's native place and part of the Parakal constituency — on Wednesday, Sushmita openly challenged the CM's authority. She said Revanth Reddy had taken her parents' help to become TPCC chief and had since abandoned them, adding that betraying those who helped him had become his hallmark.
"I spoke, not my mother," she said when the party's disciplinary committee, chaired by Mallu Ravi, issued a notice to Surekha over the remarks. In no mood for reconciliation, Surekha replied to the notice stating she could not be held accountable for the statements of her grown-up daughter.
The CM's return from London could coincide with the growing internal crisis. According to sources close to the CM, Revanth Reddy has been livid about the attacks and has spoken with cabinet colleagues about the matter. TPCC Chief B. Mahesh Kumar Goud also indicated the minister could face consequences. At the same time, Telangana party in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan has already sought a report on the rift and Sushmita's comments.
