Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s public meeting in Huzurnagar on Thursday was cancelled due to unfavourable weather conditions. The CM was supposed to address a gathering ahead of the Huzurnagar bye-polls, which is scheduled to be held on October 21.

The director of aviation, VN Bharat Reddy, said that the weather was unfavourable in Huzurnagar, Suryapet district due to cloud burst, squalls and strong winds, which are detrimental for flight safety. Following the request from the aviation director, the CM called off his programme.

At the meeting, it was expected that the Chief Minister, who has been adamant on sacking the 48,000-odd protesting TSRTC employees, would make a compromise and reconsider his stand in the aftermath of the suicides of two TSRTC employees.

Giving credence to this speculation is the meeting between TRS secretary general and Rajya Sabha MP K Keshav Rao and KCR on Thursday ahead of the Huzurnagar meeting. Keshav Rao, who is a close aide and political advisor of KCR, had on Monday appealed to the protesting employees to call off their strike in the wake of the two deaths. He offered to mediate between the government and the employees, and urged the government to consider the employees’ demands with the exception of merging the public transport corporation with the government. However, the government did not pay heed to his appeal.

But interestingly, on Thursday, the Chief Minister invited Keshav Rao to his official residence in Hyderabad before leaving for Huzurnagar. Keshav Rao too was expected to participate in the public meeting at Huzurnagar. 

In Huzurnagar the major contest is between Congress candidate Padmavathi Reddy and TRS candidate Saidi Reddy. The ongoing TSRTC strike has become a setback for the ruling TRS party, which could affect its chances in the Huzurnagar bye-polls. Though the government has been running private buses and RTC buses with the help of temporary drivers to accommodate the passengers, there is visible anger among the public due to the shortage of bus services and increase in fares.