IS IT A VALID ONE: Officials taking up counting of votes at the Silver Jubilee College in Kurnool on Monday.

KURNOOL: The Congress swept all five municipalities in Kurnool district with a comfortable majority. The Telugu Desam Party fared badly while the CPI (M) improved significantly in Kurnool and Nandyal.

In Kurnool, the Congress won in 30 wards out of 50, CPI (M) in eight, TDP three and BJP and CPI in one each. Independents won in seven wards. Five of the independents were Congress rebels. The Congress leaders analysed that in the main city, the Congress vote bank was intact while the CPI(M) gained in the newly merged areas of the city.

Indirect help

The DCC president Raghurami Reddy and senior leader, Rambhupal Choudary, said the CPI(M) exploited Congress policies and ensured distribution of ration cards and house-sites. Congress programmes indirectly helped the CPI(M) expand its base from three to eight wards now.

The Congress claimed that it could win the election on its own while the CPI (M) leaders said the party emerged as the second biggest force in Kurnool city. The trend showed that Muslim voters remained with the Congress in spite of being wooed by the CPI(M) and the TDP.

In Adoni, the TDP fared badly and failed to win a single ward. The CPI(M) which had an alliance with the Congress won three here. The CPI, which had no formal alliance with the Congress won in two wards.

In Nandyal, the Congress won 30 out of a total of 40, the TDP seven and the CPI(M) three. The TDP managed seven wards with the all out efforts of Bhuma Nagireddy and N. Md. Farooq. In Dhone, Congress won 16 of the 20 wards while TDP secured only three while one seat was won by an independent. In Yemmiganur, where the Congress was fearing a fierce contest, it won 22 out of 33 wards while the TDP won nine and the CPI(M) one.

Choice of Mayor

The Congress is busy arriving at a consensus over the Mayor and Chairmen posts in the district. The job of the Congress has been made easy by the TDP announcing its probables.

In Kurnool, the DCC president, S. Raghurami Reddy, who won from ward no 47, is likely to be choice of the party for the Mayor. In Yemmiganur, Butta Rangaiah is the chairman in all likelihood as the party and local MLA, Y. Channakesava Reddy, made a formal announcement. In Adoni too, the Congress is clear about its choice of Mr. Vitta Kistappa. In Nandyal, the party is likely to anoint a retired veterinary officer, Kaipa Ramudu. In Dhone, which is reserved for BC women, the Congress has to select among Maruthi Jayalakshmi, R.E. Sarala, T.E. Laxmi and M. Sobha. Mrs. Jayalakshmi has a fair chance.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail