ONGOLE: The Congress has swept the polls in the Ongole and Chirala municipalities and scraped through in Markapur in Prakasam district.

In Ongole, the Congress won 29 wards and its ally the CPI(M) one ward while the TDP had to content itself with only six wards.

In Chirala, Congress won 21 wards and the TDP five. While the BJP and the Mahajan party won one ward each, independents won in four wards.

In Markapur, the Congress and the TDP got 15 wards each.

The Congress could capture the municipality as its ally, the CPI, won in two wards.

The landslide victory in Ongole has stunned even Congress leaders. The Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, had given them a target of 25 wards. Both the MLA, Balineni Sreenivasa Reddy and MP,

Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, expressed the hope that they could reach the target. But the Congress won 29 wards while its ally, the CPI(M) won one ward allotted to it.

CPI draws blank

The CPI, which failed to arrive at an understanding with the Congress, drew a blank and its candidates won votes in two digits.

Most of the independents lost their deposits as they polled votes only in single digits. Many independents polled only one vote.

Both Congress candidates aspiring the chairman post won with good margins. Dasari Subramanyam (Congress) emerged victorious in Ward no. 24. Likewise, Bapatla Hanumantha Rao (Congress) won from Ward no. 18.

Jada Koteswara Rao, whom the TDP had announced as

its chairman candidate, won from Ward no 15.

The TDP town secretary, Jada Balanagendram, who was allotted ticket only after he threatened to resign his post, suffered defeat in Ward No. 17.

Interesting contest

Election in ward two attracted attention because the Congress workers clashed with TDP candidate while he was allegedly distributing money to influence voters. Police arrested six TDP workers, including the

Candidate, and five Congress workers. In this ward, Syed Khalil of the Congress won.

In the 12th ward, the Congress candidate, Kothari Ramachandra Rao, won.

The Congress candidate, Y. Rajasekhar, won 11th ward with lowest margin of 43 votes.

The TDP president and former Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, conducted roadshows in the Ongole and Chirala municipalitiles successfully and hundreds of people thronged them with enthusiasm. But the

enthusiasm did not translate into votes. Though Janke Venkata Reddy deserted the TDP and joined the Congress on the eve of the election, it

did not help the Congress much.

In Chirala, the TDP paid a heavy price for intra-party rivalries.

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