BRS Opts Out of SCCL Union Elections, Big Three from TBGKS Quit in Protest

ADILABAD: The big three leaders of the BRS-affiliated Boggugani Karmika Sangam (TBGKS) have resigned from their posts in protest against the BRS party's decision not to contest in the recognised trade union elections in SCCL.

TBGKS president Venkat Rao, working president Kengarla Mallaiah and general secretary Miryala Raji Reddy sent their resignations to the honorary president K. Kavitha on Thursday.  

They will officially announce their resignations and explain the reasons that forced them to resign.

The sangam’s top leaders opined that the party’s decision not to contest in the elections was nothing but a decision aimed at saving their skin.

Mallaiah, while confirming the development to Deccan Chronicle, said that he will brief the media about the decisions taken by the BRS leadership and Kavitha on Friday. He said they have not yet decided on joining the Congress.

It is learnt that discussions with Kavitha were underway for the last four days on the issue. On Thursday, they were asked not to contest in the elections, scheduled for December 27.

The Telangana High Court had cleared elections in Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL). The department of energy had filed a petition in the High Court seeking postponement of the trade union elections to March as a new government was formed in the state.     

The Congress is likely to have an edge following the alliance with CPI, whose AITUC, has a strong base in SCCL. However, in a twist to the tale, AITUC is asking INTUC leaders to extend their support to them in lieu of their support to Congress in the recent Assembly elections.

There are 39,748 workers (voters) in 11 SCCL areas.

Singareni coal mines are spread over 11 Assembly constituencies in erstwhile Adilabad, Khammam, Warangal and Karimnagar districts.  

The coal belt Assembly constituencies include Bellampalli, Chennur, Mancherial, Ramagundam, Manthani, Bhupalapalli, Yellanu, Pinapaka, Sattipalli, Asifabad and Kothagudem. In the 2023 elections, nine seats were won by Congress and one each by the CPI (Kothagudem) and BRS (Asifabad).

INTUC secretary general Janak Prasad claimed that nearly 6,000- 7,000 members of TBGKS have joined INTUC in the last two weeks across six Singareni divisions, including Ramakrishnapur, Srirampur, Bellampalli, Mandamarri and Bhupalpally. He said AITUC should extend its support to INTUC, which is the biggest trade union, being run under the leadership of G. Sanjeeva Reddy, who is the national president of INTUC.

Prasad said Sanjeeva Reddy may come to Mancherial for campaigning in the next three days.