SCCL polls to test TRS

Opposition unity forces TRS big guns to campaign

The Singareni Collieries staff elections, scheduled to be held on October 5 have generated immense political heat in the state.

Opposition Congress, TD and Left parties have put up a joint candidate to defeat the TRS-supported trade union headed by Nizamabad MP K. Kavitha, who is its honorary president.

Ministers in charge of the four districts covering the Singareni Collieries have been roped in to campaign, along with MPs, MLAs and MLCs from the ruling party. Singareni coal mines are spread over the four erstwhile districts of Karimnagar, Adilabad, Warangal and Khammam.

The Opposition parties too have pressed their top leaders into service, thus raising the political heat in the state.

The elections are held every four years. The Telangana Boggu Ghani Karmika Sangham, affiliated to the TRS, had tasted its first victory in July 2012, riding high on the separate statehood slogan, defeating the strong CPI-affiliated Aituc and Congress-affiliated Intuc.

There are over 15 trade unions in the coal belt region, but the main contenders in these elections are the TGBKS and the joint candidate of the Opposition.

The BMS affiliated to the BJP will field its candidate.

This election, the TGBKS had promised to revive the dependent employment scheme that was shelved by the TD government in 1998.

However, the main promise of reviving the dependent employment scheme could not be fulfilled due to legal issues and this has become a weapon for the Opposition.

Ms Kavitha on Friday held a meeting with ministers, MPs, MLAs and MLCs from the four districts to devise the strategy.

TS TD working president A. Revenath Reddy is already campaigning in these districts.

TPCC chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, working president Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and other Congress leaders are campaigning for the joint opposition candidate from the CPI-affiliated Aituc.