Visakhapatnam: Indian National Trade Union Congress (Intuc) district president Mantri Rajasekhar dealt a blow to the Congress on Saturday by issuing a statement that the worker wing of the Congress would abstain from electioneering.
The party’s apathy towards the political aspirations of working and labour class people, who form a majority in the district, is said to be the reason behind it.
Mr Rajasekhar, who was supposed to get the party ticket for the Gajuwaka Assembly segment, was abandoned in favour of Tollywood actor G.V. Sudhakar Naidu.
Mr Rajasekhar said, “We had demanded one Assembly and one Parliametary constituency for Intuc candidates. Forces in the party are colluding with opposition parties and are ensuring that deserving candidates do not get tickets.”
He added that non-local leaders were chosen over local ones who have a deeper understanding of the constituencies’ issues.
Intuc district general-secretary N. Ramachandra Rao said, “Rahul Gandhi had promised five per cent party tickets to Intuc members but this is not being followed. The state PCC plainly ignored it and allotted party tickets according to their will and nothing was done. There are over five lakh voters who are employees of various industries in Vizag and are Intuc members. Gajuwaka is an industrial belt but even in this constituency Intuc aspirations have been ignored.”
