Hyderabad: The ruling TRS and the main Opposition Congress, whose future political fate hinges on the outcome of the Huzurnagar by-elections held on October 21, are keeping their fingers crossed with the counting of votes to be held on Thursday.
While the TRS is confident of annexing the seat from the Congress, the latter is also exuding confidence of retaining the seat vacated by TPCC President Uttam Kumar Reddy on being elected to the Lok Sabha and thus necessitating the by-elections.
The Congress has fielded Uttam Kumar Reddy’s spouse Padmavathi Reddy, who had in fact faced defeat in the nearby Kodad Assembly Constituency in the Assembly elections held in December 2018. The TRS, on the other hand, re-nominated Saidi Reddy though he was trounced by the Congress nominee Uttam Kumar Reddy. The TDP and BJP have also entered the fray this time though their presence is inconsequential except that they might wean away some votes which otherwise might have gone to either TRS or Congress.
The TRS succeeded in coming to an understanding with the CPI for extending support and thus bolstered its chances. However to its dismay, the CPI had withdrawn its support as a protest against KCR in mishandling the ongoing RTC strike which rendered untold hardships to commuters all over the State.
Chief Minister KCR has taken the by-election very seriously and on a prestigious note since the TRS would be entering the Assembly elections, though it is a by-poll, after the party faced a severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections in spite of sweeping mandate in the earlier Assembly elections. With high political stakes in the by-election, KCR apart from preparing his poll strategy has entrusted the campaign to all his cabinet ministers and legislators and directed them to tour and hold public meetings in the entire constituency.
However, much to his chagrin the strike by the RTC employees has come as a spanner in the wheel. His adamant attitude in resolving the strike by inviting the striking employees for talks besides taking a Hitlerian action in terminating the services of 48,000 out of 50,000 striking RTC employees only escalated his woes. On the other hand, the RTC employees succeeded in garnering the support of various trade unions, teachers and students organisations etc. The bus strike gathered momentum with each passing day putting common man to untold hardship for want of transport service.
As the RTC strike started taking a serious turn with some of the employees resorting to extreme steps of taking their lives, the High Court had to intervene and taken the Chief Minister and his administration to task. In fact, KCR came to be ridiculed for his dictatorial attitude of trying to suppress the RTC strike forgetting that the help and support of these RTC staff and other government employees were sought by him for achieving Telangana State during his separate Telangana movement.
Thus against this background, the by-election in Huzurnagar has not only become crucial but also gained much political influence. In the event of the TRS wins the by-election, it undoubtedly would give a shot in the arm to KCR besides a morale booster to the ruling party to further decimate the crumbling Congress. However, if the Congress retains the seat, it would help provide the much needed nectar for the party to rise again to sound the death knell for the ruling party.