College staff become captive vote bank for graduates poll
Some managements link salaries to staff voting for their favourite parties
Political parties are leaning on college managements to get their staff to vote for them in the forthcoming election to the Hyderabad-Ranga ReddyMahbubnagar graduates constituency seat of the Legislative Council.
Cutting across party lines, the managements of colleges, many of which are directly controlled by influential political leaders, are asking the graduates among their staff to submit their voter identity and Aadhaar cards. Some managements are learnt to have linked salaries to the staff ’s voting behaviour.
Between them, the colleges, including engineering colleges, most of which are situated near the city, have thousands of graduates who form a sizeable vote bank.
Rajeev Majumdar (name changed), senior faculty at a popular college in Kompally, said the management had assured them of full salaries if they voted in a particular manner after March next year. In case they did not do so, they would be sacked.
Pavitra (name changed), a teacher at a well-known college in Ranga Reddy district, said that she should continue in her job from the voter registration to the conclusion of the Legislative Council poll which would likely be held in March after the conclusion of the GHMC polls.
She said that the management had said the staff should continue working at 25 per cent of their salaries until the notification for voter registration. Post notification, salaries will be enhanced to 50 per cent and after March the graduates will receive their full payments if they vote as the management says.
Similar claims made by staff in other colleges. It appears to be the situation with 95 per cent of the colleges in the three districts, especially engineering colleges.
Reacting to this, Prof. Balakrishna Reddy, president of the Telangana Technical Institutions Employees Association, said that the issue had come to their notice and the association would campaign against political parties which had made such threats. Prof. Reddy said that the association will submit a representation to prevent linking of voting to salaries. “It’s atrocious on the part of college managements to threaten teaching staff. On behalf of my organisation, I request teaching staff not to vote for such political parties,” he said.
According to sources in the Election Commission, the notification for voter enrollment for the MLC graduates constituency election will be released in October.
CUTTING ACROSS party lines, the managements of colleges, many of which are directly controlled by influential political leaders, are asking the graduates among their staff to submit their voter identity and Aadhaar cards.