Andhra Pradesh

Congress suffers setback in A.P. civic polls

Special Correspondent

TDP retains Rajahmundry, Congress wrests Hindupur

HYDERABAD: Trouble from rebels, differences among party leaders and rise in prices have caused a setback to the Congress in the elections to the Visakhapatnam and Rajahmundry Municipal Corporations in Andhra Pradesh though it has salvaged some pride by wresting Hindupur Municipality from the Telugu Desam Party.

While the election in Viskhapatnam resulted in a hung civic body, voters in Rajahmundry gave a resounding verdict in favour of the TDP. While retaining its majority in Rajahmundry, the TDP bagged an absolute majority winning 29 out of 50 municipal divisions leaving the Congress way behind with a tally of 17. The remaining four seats were won by independents, three of them Congress rebels.

The Congress party wrested control of the municipality after a gap of nearly two and a half decades by a thin majority. Out of 38 wards in the civic body, the Congress and TDP won 18 each while the CPI, which contested the poll in alliance with the former, won the remaining two seats. The TDP's victory was so comprehensive in Rajahmundry that it secured a majority of above 500 votes in several divisions whereas the Congress party's margin at several places was below 100 votes. Congress party's aspirant for the Mayor post Kudipudi Vijayalakshmi was defeated while Aadireddy Veera Raghavamma of the TDP, who is tipped to be the First Citizen of the city, won handsomely by 1774 votes.

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