Denied Ticket, Konda Surekha Cries War Against TRS

Former MLA of Warangal East Konda Surekha today expressed shock over not finding her name in the list of 105 TRS candidates announced by party supremo and caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on September 6 though she had won the seat in the 2014 elections by a handsome majority of 45,000 votes. (The TRS has not announced any candidate for the Warangal East constituency.)

Speaking to mediapersons on Saturday, Surekha alleged that the TRS chief had insulted her by not announcing her name in the list of 105 candidates. She said that she would announce her future course of action if it failed to announce her name within 24 hours.

Surekha explained that she had contested from the Warangal East constituency, leaving her Parakala constituency, based on the word of KCR. "I thought of contesting the 2014 election as an independent from Parakala, but KCR asked me to join the TRS, and convinced me to contest from Warangal East to defeat Basavaraju Saraiah. KCR assured me a minister post and an MLC seat to my husband. People voted me to victory by a huge majority. I also developed Warangal East constituency in a big way, and did not complain though I was not made a minister. I have also been working for the sake of the party development. However the TRS hasn't announced my name in the 105 candidates' list despite all of that. KCR has to tell what mistake I committed," she said.

Saying that she never took a single rupee from the party for any election, Surekha said that she spent her own money even during Palla Rajeshwar Reddy's MLC election and the Municipal Corporation elections. "KCR gave tickets to those who came from the TDP. Then why is he not giving a ticket to me? KCR should make the survey report about the MLAs public. Telangana is not a private house of the Kalvakuntlas. People will not keep quiet if they want to transform Telangana into a family company," she said.

She also alleged that the government had been tapping her phone as well as that of her driver.

Surekha also targeted K T Rama Rao, saying, "KTR never supported me but troubled me. He was responsible for the omission of my name from the candidates' list. Initially Harish Rao opposed my entry into the TRS, but supported me later. KTR however never warmed up to me."

"KCR has also insulted the BCs and the SCs by not giving tickets to Bodige Shobha, Nallala Odelu and me. My husband, my daughter and I will all contest the elections ourselves if the need arises," she added.

Brushing aside rumours that her family demanded two tickets, Surekha said that she had only urged KCR to give two tickets (Warangal East and Parakala) to them but had never demanded that.