Will rethink on support to TRS in bypolls if KCR adamant on RTC strike: CPI

The Telangana unit of CPI on Wednesday said it will rethink on its support to the TRS in the October 21 Huzurnagar Assembly by-election if Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao continued with his "oppressive" stand against striking transport corporation employees.

The term "self-dismissal" of employees used by KCR will boomerang on him and he will be self-dismissed, CPI Telangana secretary Chada Venkat Reddy said adding he should immediately withdraw such remarks.

"If KCR does not retract from his stance of removing RTC employees, if he continues to follow oppressive methods on employees, we will rethink (extending support) for Huzurnagar bypolls," he said at a Roundtable organised here by Telangana State Road Transport Corporation employees' unions.

Various employees and workers unions of TSRTC are on an indefinite strike since October 5 in response to a call by the Joint Action Committee (JAC), demanding merger of the RTC with the government and recruitment to various posts, among others.

The Chandrasekhar Rao-led government made it clear it has not intention of merging the loss-making PSU with it.

The bypoll for Huzurnagar was necessitated by the resignation of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee President N Uttam Kumar Reddy following his election to Lok Sabha.

The CPI which fought bitterly against TRS in the Assembly elections in 2018 has pledged its support to the KCR-led party after talks with the Congress failed.