Leadership takes serious view of Murali's outburst against MLAs

The ruling Congress has reportedly taken a serious view of the outburst of Konda Murali, husband of Endowments Minister Konda Surekha, against party MLAs in the erstwhile Warangal district.

- B KARTHEEK @Hyderabad

A political storm is brewing within the Congress in the erstwhile Warangal district following inflammatory remarks by Konda Muralidhar Rao, husband of Endowments Minister Konda Surekha, against party MLAs. The comments have deepened existing factional rifts, prompting a strong backlash from local leaders and threatening the party's unity in a key stronghold.

The controversy erupted after Murali, a former MLC, made veiled accusations against Station Ghanpur MLA Kadiyam Srihari and Parakal legislator Revuri Prakash Reddy, alleging they betrayed their former parties — BRS and BJP respectively — by joining the Congress.

His remarks, delivered during Rahul Gandhi's birthday celebrations on June 19, also targeted other MLAs and leaders, including KR Nagaraju (Wardhannapet), G Satyanarayana Rao (Bhupalpally), MLC Baswaraju Saraiah, Warangal District Congress president Errabelli Swarna and Kakatiya Urban Development Authority chairman E Venkataram Reddy.

In response, the aggrieved MLAs convened an emergency meeting at the residence of Warangal West MLA and Hanamkonda District Congress president Naini Rajender Reddy on Friday to address the "domination" of the Konda family in the district.

The MLAs, particularly Prakash Reddy and Srihari, expressed outrage over Murali's claim that they were "traitors" to their previous parties. Murali's provocative challenge that defectors like Srihari should resign and seek re-election further inflamed tensions.