Celebration for Congress in Telangana, gloom in Seemandhra

Hyderabad, May 12 (IANS) For the Congress, it was time for celebration in Telangana while it was gloom in Seemandhra as the results of the municipal elections were announced in the two regions Monday.

Three days ahead of the counting of votes polled in the assembly and Lok Sabha elections, the results of the urban local body polls came as a rude jolt for the Congress in Seemandhra as the party was decimated in the region.

The public anger over bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh was apparent as the Congress faced its worst-ever rout in the municipal polls. It could not win a single corporation or municipality in 13 districts of Seemandhra.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) swept the polls in Seemandhra by winning five corporations and 62 municipalities. The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) bagged two corporations and 19 municipalities.

Congress chief for Andhra Pradesh (Seemandhra) N. Raghuveera Reddy admitted the party's defeat. "We need to analyse the reasons for the party's poor performance. We will take necessary steps to rebuild the party and strengthen it," he said.

It was celebration time at Gandhi Bhavan, the headquarters of Telangana unit of the Congress. Party's state chief Ponnala Lakshmaiah and other party leaders joined the celebrations by distributing sweets and busting firecrackers.

Lakshmaiah said the results reflected the sentiments of Telangana people. He exuded confidence that the results would be repeated on Friday when votes polled in assembly and Lok Sabha elections will be counted. He was confident that the Congress will form the government in Telangana on its own.

The Congress emerged as single largest party in two of the three corporations in Telangana and bagged 21 municipalities. Overall, it won 526 seats (divisions/wards) while the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) finished second with 313 seats. The TRS emerged as single largest party in one corporation and bagged power in eight civic bodies.

TRS leader E. Rajender, however, was confident that his party will come to power in Telangana. He argued that municipal elections are fought on local issues. He believes the results of assembly and Lok Sabha elections will be different.