SCCL poll acted as harbinger of ‘Grand Alliance’ against TRS

KOTHAGUDEM: Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) trade union election that was held on Thursday created a record of sorts with about 94.93 percent of the total 52,534 coal workers, ie., 49,873 employees, exercising their franchise to elect recognised union. Even though the election was purely related to Singareni employees, it seems to have forecasted the future picture of political alignments that may take place in Telangana by 2019 general elections.Though the idea of forming a ‘grand alliance’ with like-minded political parties to fight against the TRS government in the state had been under discussion among Congress Party, TDP and the Left in the past two years, for the first time such idea was openly announced by the opposition parties, barring the BJP,  during the Singareni polls.

Following the Congress, TDP and CPI had openly joined hands with each other by supporting CPI-affiliated AITUC in the SCCL polls. For now it is clear that the principal opposition party has begun making efforts to form a ‘grand alliance’ to take on the ruling TRS in the next general polls. 

The campaign for Singareni elections, which earlier used to confine to the issues relating to the coalmine workers, this time became a forum to debate about policies of the TRS government. Proving this, opposition parties focussed their campaign on government’s unfulfilled promises. Apart from the key leaders of all political parties, even Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) chairman M Kodandaram aggressively campaigned in the polls, discussing about the pros and cons of TRS’s policies.
Further, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao too had taken the poll as a prestigious issue. The entire state cabinet had campaigned for the victory of TRS backed TBGKS. Nizambad MP K Kavitha, who is also honorary president of the TBGKS, had put in all-out efforts to win over coal workers.

Earlier in the day, election to choose the recognised trade union in the SCCL passed off peacefully amid tight  security. As many as 92 polling booths  were set up across 11 areas in six districts of the coal belt. The polling started at 7 am and concluded at 5 pm. Over 52 pc coal workers  exercised their votes by 11 am itself and the percentage crossed  90 per cent by 4 pm.

94 per cent employees voted  
The election to choose the recognised trade union in the Singareni  Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) passed off peacefully amid tight  security. As many as 92 polling booths  were set up across 11 areas in six  districts of the coal belt to facilitate the voting.
The polling  started at 7 am and concluded at 5 pm. Over 52 per cent coal workers  exercised their votes by 11 am itself and the voting percentage crossed  90 per cent by 4 pm.