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Telangana agitation activists seek job preference from Kharge in state
Telangana will elect a new state assembly on November 30. The ruling BRS is looking to return to power, but the Congress is expected to put up formidable challenge
In a four hour-long meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday, civil society members, including some who participated in the Telangana movement, put forth demands for those who took part in the statehood agitation and asked how the Congress will keep its house in order, an issue that has plagued the party’s legislative units across states.
It was the first official meeting between Kharge and civil society members in Telangana.
“We asked the Congress president that if we support you and the party comes to power, what is the guarantee that your MLAs will not defect to the BRS (Bharat Rashtra Samithi),” said Visheshwar Rao, a professor and one of the prominent members of the Telangana statehood agitation. “We asked him this question as in the past 12 Congress MLAs fled to the BRS.”
Telangana will elect a new state assembly on November 30. The ruling BRS is looking to return to power, but the Congress is expected to put up formidable challenge.
“Our main demand was that preference should be given in government jobs to those who fought for Telangana movement. People who have died, their family members must be given preference in jobs or education,” said former high court judge Chandrakumar, who was present in the meeting. “We also asked Kharge that surviving members of the Telangana agitation should get special pension if the Congress comes to power.”
