TDP, Congress share honours

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, MARCH 12. The ruling TDP and the Congress have evenly shared honours in the elections to the five Municipal Corporations for which results were declared on Saturday.While the TDP bagged the Mayoral posts in Guntur and Vijayawada, the Congress won from Visakhapatnam and Kurnool. The BJP wrested the top slot in Warangal.

The neck and neck race extended even to the 244 Divisions in these five Corporations though the Congress enjoyed a slight edge. It secured the top slot with 99 Corporators against the TDP's tally of 94, BJP 21, Independents 16, CPI(M) 8, CPI 5 and Andhra Nadu one.

The Left parties put up a poor show conceding the Mayor's post of Vijayawada to the TDP and winning only 13 Divisions. The CPI failed to win any division outside Vijayawada.Interestingly, barring the TDP in Kurnool, no party has secured a simple majority on its own and the new Mayors will have to depend on friendly parties for support during voting. Statistics also reveal that voters did not go by party loyalties while choosing Mayors and Corporators.

The Guntur Mayor, Mr. Yesuratnam of TDP, will have to reckon with 23 Congress Corporators in the 50-member body compared to 21 of his party, five of the BJP and an Independent.

Mrs. P. Anuradha, the new Mayor of Vijayawada, has a tough time ahead of her since her party, the TDP, is woefully short of majority in the 50-member Corporation. It has won a mere 11 divisions, compared to 24 by the Congress (I), five by CPI, four each by the CPI (M) and BJP and two by independents.

A similar predicament awaits the Congress Mayor of Kurnool, Ms. Faiyaz Begum, as her party has won only 14 divisions in the 44- member Corporation, against 24 of TDP, three of CPI (M), two of BJP and an independent.

However, their counterpart in Visakhapatnam can breathe a little easier. The new Mayor, Mrs. Rajana Ramani of the Congress, has the support of 22 party Corporators in the 50-member house. The strength of other parties in the steel city is as follows: TDP 15, BJP four, CPI (M) and Andhra Nadu one each besides seven independents.In Warangal, the BJP Mayor, Dr. T. Rajeshwara Rao, will have to depend heavily on the support of 23 TDP Corporators since there are only six from his party. The Congress has 16 Corporators while there are five Independents.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Regional
Next     : Pseudo-naxals arrested