Ashok wins the day

Hyderabad: Employees’ leader P. Ashok Babu was elected president of the AP Non-Gazetted Officers’ Association with thumping majority, on Sunday. Till now, he was the adhoc president of APNGOs, spearheading the agitation for a unified state of AP.

Of the 815 votes polled, Babu secured 638 votes and the rival candidate, Basheer, got 164 votes. Thirteen votes were invalid. The remaining 16 candidates contested in Babu’s panel, including general secretary Chandrasekhar Reddy, who won with huge margins.

Luck has favoured Babu in his rise in Union politics. He was chosen the adhoc president, as a compromise formula between two dominant communities, in the association. Within some time, the Centre announced its decision to bifurcate the state and Babu was thrown into the limelight.

Apparently to cash in on the positive atmosphere, he decided to hold elections, which was kept on hold for several months. He was also criticised for holding polls at a time when the Bill had reached the Assembly.

Babu, who was accused of calling off the strike at the behest of the CM, said on Sunday that his victory would give a befitting reply to such allegations. He claimed that his win in the polls, where interestingly all the voters are from the Seemandhra region, was a victory of the “Samaikhyandra” struggle.

A section of employees, who were unhappy with Babu for not attaching any significance to YSRC chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s role in “Samaikhyandhra” stir, met the Kadapa MP and invited him to be part of their struggle. There were also reports that the YSRC was instrumental in Basheer pitching against Babu.