Nearly 100 private lecturers in Telangana would be contesting in the Huzurabad bye-poll, if the government continues to overlook their plight, the Telangana Lecturers’ Forum (TLF) has threatened. The lecturers, who allege that the government has been paying no heed to the financial crisis caused by COVID-19, say that the only way to grab the attention of the government is through this means.
“For the last 16 months, we have been waiting for the government to provide us with a relief amount of Rs 10,000 but they have been completely ignoring us. That is why we have adopted this strategy. We will drop this plan if the government comes to our aid,” said T Naagaih, state coordinator of TLF.
TLF state president D Murali Manohar said, “While the government provided Rs 2,000 as relief money to the school teachers, we have been completely ignored. Due to the economic crisis, we have been struggling to make ends meet, but nobody lent a helping hand. If the government continues to ignore us, we will go ahead with the proposed plan to contest in the election to highlight our plight.”
Huzurabad constituency will be going to polls soon as the incumbent legislator and former Health Minister Eatala Rajender resigned from both the TRS party and his MLA post. The election date is yet to be announced, and the lecturers are hoping that the government would consider their request and provide financial aid.
Taking a cue from the lecturers, some residents of Cheerlavancha and others who were evacuated to facilitate the construction of Mid Manair reservoir, are also considering filing nominations for the Huzurabad poll. These residents allege that they are yet to be fully provided with the relief and rehabilitation package by the government.
It may be recalled that in 2019, nearly 170 farmers contested in the Nizamabad Lok Sabha election, after the TRS government failed to live up to its poll promise of establishing a turmeric board in the district. With scores of candidates contesting in the election as independent candidates, the Election Commission of India had to bring a ‘jumbo ballot paper’ for the voting.
The Huzurabad election is seen as a prestigious battle between former Minister Eatala Rajender and the TRS. The TRS unceremoniously ousted him from the party over allegations of land encroachment, forcing him to join the BJP and mount an attack on Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.