SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, April 19: The All India Trade Union Cong (AITUC), the labour organisation of the Communist Party of India (CPI), will not support its vice-president Dhulu Mahto, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate of Dhanbad.
‘No question of supporting Dhulu Mahto’
A senior leader of the AITUC central committee today said that it is the election of political parties, not trade unions. “So, there is no question of supporting the BJP candidate due to ideological differences and the country’s present situation,” he added.
BJP Dhanbad candidate Dhulu Mahto (three-time Baghmara MLA) is a BJP politician, but he practices trade unionism from the Communist Party of India platform. At present, he is vice president of the AITUC Jharkhand unit.
‘Modi govt anti-labour’
The AITUC leader said his organisation is opposing not a trade union leader but the Narendra Modi government, which is changing the Labour Act, reducing manpower in mines, and changing the Constitution.
“If the BJP wins, it will strengthen Narendra Modi’s hands. So, AITUC would not support any BJP candidate in the election, whatever he may be, for stopping the Narendra Modi government,” said the senior AITUC leader, requesting anonymity.
However, AITUC has not cleared its stand on supporting non-BJP candidates.
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Sita Soren is also AITUC V-P
BJP Dumka candidate Sita Soren, who recently joined the saffron brigade, is also AITUC vice-president. She runs her own union in Amrapali colliery of Central Coalfield Limited (CCL). Even when she was Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MLA, she ran a separate union.
AITUC move a jolt to Dhulu
The AITUC’s move on Dhulu Mahto is considered a major jolt to the Baghmara MLA, who has always supported opposition trade unions.
It has been witnessed that whenever national trade unions were divided over coal industry strike against the central government, Dhulu Mahto ( being the vice-president of AITUC)
supported the Joint Front of INTUC, CITU, AITUC, and HMS and opposed Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), the labour organization of BJP.
The BMS, which has the highest miners ‘ membership in the coal belt, also looks divided over supporting Dhulu Mahto as he belongs to a rival trade union. A BMS leader said that if he wins, the AITUC will be stronger in the coal belt.
