Former Lok Sabha Speaker P. A Sangma on Saturday said that Telangana was headed for a political vacuum as an anti-incumbency wave was blowing against the Telangana Rashtra Samiti and parties like the Congress and TDP were declining in strength.
A supporter of small states, Mr Sangma said though there were high hopes during the formation of the new state, “things have not been moving in the right direction”. Addressing a press meet here in the city, Mr. Sagma said, “The Congress is declining, TDP is basically an Andhra Party, BJP has not made the numbers and TRS is facing a huge anti-incumbency crisis.” A series of issues including farmers’ suicides due to drought and lack of government support and government’s apathy towards solving issues of the marginalised communities had led to this situation, he said.
“There are 2,500 youths who are still facing criminal cases due to the heroic role they played in the Telangana agitation. And hundreds of families who saw death of their kin for the Telangana cause are still waiting for government support,” Mr. Sangma said. The government had also failed to get the support of students in the State, he said and added that unemployment was still an issue.
Referring to the need for a new political presence like that of his National People’s Party, Mr. Sangma said he was willing to form coalitions at the State level to work towards the upliftment of marginalised sections. “Topmost priority for the party will be social justice for the marginalised. We support ST reservations and Christian reservation in the legislative bodies,” Mr. Sangma said.
The parliamentarian who had earlier interacted with V. Radhika, mother of deceased research scholar Rohith Vemula, expressed solidarity with the protesting students on University of Hyderabad (UoH) campus.
“I appeal to the Centre and the State to intervene in the matter and provide justice to striking students,” Mr. Sangma said.
A series of issues, including farmers’ suicides, has let to this situation, he says
