GLAD TIDINGS: Congress Chairperson-candidate Annapoorna (extreme right) celebrating her victory with fellow winners in Srikalahasti after the result.

TIRUPATI: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) suffered the worst ever defeat in the history of municipal elections in the district by losing in all the seven municipalities, including in the three newly carved out ones-- Nagari, Puttur and Palamaner.

The ruling Congress as elsewhere in the State registered a landslide victory in the district-- Chandrababu Naidu's home turf, by giving the TDP a white-wash in all the seven including the three TDP-held municipalities-- Chittoor, Srikalahasti and Punganur.

Bolt from the blue

Though Congress' impressive performance in the election was never in doubt, what was a bolt from the blue for the TDP was its total rout in all the municipalities contrary to the earlier speculations that it would manage to scrape through at least in a couple of municipalities like, Punganur and Palamaner where it has a strong base.

But to the contrary it was in these two municipalities that the TDP was mauled so badly that it had to be content with a mere one ward each.

In fact barring in Madanapalle and Srikalahasti where it won in 14 and 10 wards, in all the other five municipalities its tally was restricted to a single digit against an impressive performance by the ruling congress.

Only Madanapalle should be able to give some solace to the otherwise badly bruised Telugu Desam Party.

Despite its winning streak in the rest of the municipalities, the Congress conceded 14 wards to the TDP in Madanapalle. Congress wrested the prestigious Chittoor municipality from the TDP by winning in 31 out of its 37 wards while the TDP had to reconcile to a mere 4.

Labour wasted

The newly formed Nagari Municipality on the Chennai border where the film actress, Roja along with her director-husband, R.K. Selvamani slogged day in and day out for the victory of the TDP, also went the Congress way. It won in 18 its 27 wards leaving only 9 to the TDP.

Puttur where also the Congress' victory was in a bit of a shadow because of the alleged manipulations from across the neighbouring Nagari segment by the local MLA, R. Chenga Reddy against the fellow Congressman, G.Muddukrishnama Naidu-- the Congress on its winning streak could weather all it and register an impressive win by bagging 17 of its 24 wards.

Significantly in Puttur, the AIADMK won in three wards and this is only one short of the 4 won by the TDP in the newly created municipality on the AP-TN border. The AIADMK also scored a victory in one ward in Chittoor and has thus opened its account in the Andhra politics for the first time. Though the BJP for record-sake fielded its candidates in 103 wards in the district, it drew a blank forfeiting its deposit in most wards. So also the CPI though it fielded only in 11 wards. The CPI(M) at least has one ward in its kitty-- thanks to its understanding with Congress in Srikalahasti.

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