VIJAYAWADA: Congress leaders are happy with the outcome of the Zilla Parishad elections in Krishna district, though the party did not fare so well in Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies in Gudivada, Nidumolu and Avanigadda Assembly constituencies.

Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal is happy as the Congress fared well in all the four ZPTCs in Nandigama Assembly constituency. The party has performed well in 18 of 19 ZPTCs in Vijayawada Parliamentary constituency. "We were expecting to do well in 17 ZPTCs, but we did exceedingly well in 18 ZPTCs," he said. The welfare programmes of the Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy Government like distribution of ration cards to the poor, Indiramma scheme, water for two crops, timely distribution of old age and widow pensions and house sites were factors that contributed to the good performance of the party.

Local factors' role

Congress workers showed tremendous unity at the grassroots, Mr Rajagopal said.

Machilipatnam MP Badiga Ramakrishna said the party performed well in his Parliamentary constituency despite setbacks in Gudivada and Gannavaram Assembly segments. The Congress party performed "by and large well" in ZPTCs in Vuyyuru, Machilipatnam and Malleswaram Assembly constituencies. He said local factors played an important role in the election outcome. "The programmes and schemes introduced by the Government may be good. But the outcome will be favourable only if they are properly implemented," Mr Ramakrishna said.

Avanigadda MLA Mandali Buddha Prasad said the Congress faced a setback in Mopidevi and Koduru because of the electoral understanding between the TDP and the CPI(M). Though all parties had their own vote banks, victory was often decided by the swing of neutral votes. The Congress was able to improve its position in the Assembly constituency, but the CPI(M) factor tilted the balance, he said.

Poor show

District unit president of the Congress Segu Venkateswarlu said the party fared badly in Gudivada Assembly constituency because the candidates could not withstand the `money power' of the rivals. The antics of Katari Eswara Kumar also had some adverse impact, he said.

Vasanta Krishna Prasad, son of APCOB chairman Nageswara Rao and in-charge of Nandigama Assembly constituency, said the party fared well because of the welfare programmes of the State Government and the committed work of the party cadre at the grassroots.

APSRTC Zonal Chairman Jogi Ramesh said timely release of water for irrigation and distribution of ration cards and pensions helped a great deal in winning the confidence of the voters.

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