GUNTUR: Campaigning for next month's municipal elections has picked up in all the 11 municipalities and one municipal corporation. But, the ruling Congress has not been putting a united front so far.

Resting on laurels of victory in Assembly elections, party leaders have been campaigning either individually or only during visits of Ministers. The campaign thus far has been patchy with different groups running their own `Rajiv Nagara Bheri' that is devoid of general appeal. A majority of the aspirants are waiting for reservation of particular wards to be officially announced.

District Congress Committee president Muppalaneni Seshagiri Rao, who stays in Bapatla, has been accompanying local MLA, floor leader or town party unit president in the `nagar bheri' programme for one week to a few municipalities.

Advantage Congress

"Our strength comes from the programmes taken up by the Rajasekhara Reddy Government to provide white cards to all eligible, tap connection at Rs.1,200 to BPL families and pattas to the landless on August 18," Mr. Seshagiri Rao told The Hindu .

The Government made arrangements to provide as much electricity as possible to farmers by installing new transformers, repairing old ones or laying new roads before the notification was issued, he observed.

The party made Tenali MP Vallabhaneni Balashouri in-charge of elections in the eastern parts of the district while Narsaraopet MP Rajmohan Reddy was asked to look after municipalities in the Palnadu area.

In Vinukonda, the Congress expects to win as there is no adjustment between the BJP and the TDP and none is in a position to win on its own.

The selection of candidates would be crucial. With least intervention from the district or State level, the party would be able to field persons with good winning chances, he said.

In Repalle, while MLA Devineni Mallikarjuna Rao was putting in efforts to put up a strong fight against the TDP, groups led by party leaders - Madhu, Rabba Jani and APIIC Chairman Ambati Rambabu had been running their own campaigns.

Tenali and Bapatla are a headache for the party with former TDP MLA Ravindranath, who is in Congress, is being supported by Tenali MP Balashouri, while the present MLA Nadendla Manohar and a group close to Finance Minister Rosaiah have been campaigning in their own way.

The Congress expects the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to make last-minute amends to its stance to go it alone and join them in Mangalagiri which will be beneficial to both the parties in the lone unreserved municipality that is dominated by BCs.

At Chilakaluripet, the Congress has a good Scheduled Caste candidate in K. Lakshmi Bai, who is also an AICC member. The active participation in party affairs by local Congress-affiliate MLA Marri Rajasekhar also could come to its benefit.

Sattenapalli, being close to Pedakurapadu constituency represented by Cooperation Minister Kanna Lakshmi Narayana, the party expects the result to be in its favour. Local MLA Yerram Venkateswara Reddy has also been taking keen interest in campaign.

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