Cong good show in polls; TDP sidelines TRS in Telangana

Hyderabad, July 5 (UNI) While the ruling Congress continued its winning streak across the three regions of Andhra Pradesh bagging 16 of the 22 Zilla Parishads (ZPs), the opposition Telugu Desam Party, salvaged its lost prestige, picking up two ZPs in Telangana and one in Rayalaseema as the separatist TRS put up a dismal performance in the two-phase elections to Pachayatiraj bodies.

The Telangana sentiment, which had brought the TRS into limelight in the last Panchayat polls in 2001, did not work in this elections as the TRS and the BJP, which had come out in open support for a separate Telangana, faced a virtual rout now.

The TDP, along with the CPI(M) gained majority in Adilabad and Rangareddy ZPs, eclipsing the TRS in its home turf. The TRS had to reconcile with just 25 of the 68 ZPTC seats it contested against 84 ZPTC seats in the last Panchayat polls.

However, the TRS support is crucial for the Congress to garner majority in the Zilla Parishads in Karimnagar where the TDP had won 25 ZPTC seats against 23 by the Congress and six by the TRS in the 57-member House as also in Warangal where both the Congress and TDP were tied at 23 each and TRS holding the all important three seats to tilt the balance.

The Congress had to take the TRS along in Khammam where both the Congress-CPI-TRS alliance and TDP-CPI(M) combine were tied 22 seats each in the 46-member House, before getting the support of one CPI(ML) New Democracy ZPTC winner and another independent to win the ZP chairman's post.

Admitting that the Congress-TRS poll-pact had not worked well in the polls as both parties did not reach electoral understanding well in time to put up a united front, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy told reporters in New Delhi that the Congress party would take along the TRS, a ruling UPA constituent at the Centre.

Dedicating the party's ''good performance'' in the Telangana region as also in Anantapur, East and West Godavari districts to the grassroots level workers, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu said they withstood the Congress 'money and muscle power' in the elections.

While the Congress won 675 ZPTC seats this time against 446 ZPTC seats in the last elections, the TDP got only 347 ZPTC seats against 512 in 2001.

A report from Chittoor said Congress had performed extremely well winning 49 ZPTC seats while the TDP managed just 16.

With the Congress winning adequate number of ZPTC seats it was set to get the ZP chairman post.

The Congress also bagged 519 MPTC seats out of 853 seats compared to 310 seats won by the TDP. The Left parties won four seats, BJP three and Independents 12 seats.

Meanwhile, CPI National Secretary S Sudhakar Reddy, MP, told reporters here that the party would ensure the election of the CPI candidate as Zilla Parishad chairperson in Nalgonda, where the Congress-CPI alliance had bagged 39 of the 59 ZPTC seats.

The Congress won a clear majority .... here picking line one para four of MS 29, Election-AP-LB-Lead Results UNI Team SM ROY YA BD2121