KADAPA: Congress swept the ZPTC and MPTC elections registering an emphatic victory in 47 out of 50 ZPTC seats and bagging 418 MPTC seats out of 552 in Kadapa, the native district of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

Congress ally, the CPI, made a debut in the Zilla Parishad with CPI district secretary G. Obulesu winning the Veerapunayunipalle ZPTC seat. TDP won only two ZPTC seats -- Lakkireddipalle and Yerraguntla -- while the CPI (M) and BJP drew a blank. Congress retained the Kadapa ZP chairmanship for the second term. While in Opposition, Congress won 26 ZPTC seats and the TDP won 23, but Congress bagged ZP chairmanship with help of independents in 2001.

Winds blew in favour of the Congress though Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy did not canvas. On the other hand, TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu camped in Kadapa district before elections and tried to enthuse the TDP rank and file.

However, the TDP adopted a defensive approach since the election notification and its presence in Kadapa ZP had become nominal.

Congress nominee for ZP chairmanship Devireddy Jyothi Reddy who was elected ZPTC member from Simhadripuram with the highest margin of 17,203 votes would be sworn in on July 11.

TDP's poor show

The TDP lacked representation in nine mandals where it failed to win even one ZPTC or MPTC seat. The nine mandals were -- Pulivendula, Lingala, Thondur, Vemula, Simhadripuram, all in Pulivendula constituency, Ramapuram in Lakkireddipalle constituency, Chinnamandem in Rayachoti constituency, Khajipet and Brahmamgari Matham in Mydukur constituency.

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