After backlash, CPI to reconsider its alliance with TRS for Huzurnagar bye-polls

At an all-party meeting convened by TSRTC leaders, CPI state secretary Chada Venkat Reddy was questioned about the party’s morality in allying with the TRS.
After backlash, CPI to reconsider its alliance with TRS for Huzurnagar bye-polls
After backlash, CPI to reconsider its alliance with TRS for Huzurnagar bye-polls

With the agitating TSRTC employees and other political leaders mounting pressure to withdraw support to the TRS in Telangana’s Huzurnagar bye-polls, Communist Party of India (CPI) state secretary Chada Venkat Reddy on Wednesday said that the party would reconsider its decision.

For the bye-polls in Huzurnagar, which are to be held on October 21, the CPI had offered support to the ruling TRS.

Chada Venkat Reddy, representing CPI, had taken part in the all-party meeting held at Somajiguda press club convened by the TSRTC JAC. However, before Reddy could speak, several questioned the CPI’s morality in allying with the TRS and asked him to quit the alliance.

Telangana Chief Minister KCR had laid off all the 48,000-odd protesting employees of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation for going on a strike on October 5. The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of TSRTC employee unions had demanded that the government merge the TSRTC with the government, apart from 26 other demands. However, all these demands were rejected by the government.

Forced to make a statement on the alliance, Reddy said, “If the government doesn’t withdraw its plans to sack the agitating employees, we will reconsider our decision regarding the Huzurnagar elections.”

Reddy added that he alone could not make a decision, but that he would have to deliberate the issue with party members.

Lashing out at Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, he said, “The words used by KCR on self-dismissal is the worst. Will anyone lose their jobs deliberately? Even a mad man won’t speak like that.”

KCR had earlier said that the protesting employees were ‘self-dismissed’ as they did not report for duty.

“TSRTC was not established recently. It was established under the 7th Nizam, and it was run by the government. I want to remind KCR this fact,” Reddy said.

Reddy said that KCR should follow his political friend and Andhra counterpart Jagan Mohan Reddy and merge the TSRTC with the government.

Pointing out KCR’s hypocrisy, he said, “Today when the TSRTC employees went ahead with their strike by giving prior notice, you are claiming that it is illegal. But during the Telangana agitation, didn’t we achieve Telangana statehood by participating in several protests?”

Cautioning the Chief Minister, Reddy said, “You are behaving like a dictator. This is sending a wrong signal. You are betraying the people of Telangana and doing injustice to the TSRTC employees.”

All the Opposition political parties in the state – Congress, BJP, TDP, TJS, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) New Democracy – and several other unions had participated in the meeting to discuss the future course of action.

 

Related Stories

No stories found.
The News Minute
www.thenewsminute.com