Setback To Tdp As Parvathi Wins

However, it is all set to wrest the Nandyal Parliamentary seat from the Congress with a margin of over 2.50 lakh votes, better than the margin by which P V Narasimha Rao had first won the seat in November 1991. This pushes up the TDP strength in the Lok Sabha to 17.

Of the two seats conceded to the Congress, the Sujatnagar seat was held by the ruling partys ally, the CPI, which failed to retain the seat this time. The vacancy was caused by the death of the sitting CPI member.

While Congress gained the Jagtial seat, it lost the Mummidivaram seat it had held earlier to the TDP. The NTR-TDP and BJP combine remained third in all the other seats,( barring Patapatnam), where either party had nominated its candidate.

 

Lakshmi Parvathi, widow of Telugu Desam founder N T Rama Rao will be entering the Assembly for the first time.

This is the first elective post she has contested since assuming the leadership of the faction still loyal to N T Rama Raos ideals.

Significance to the Pathapatnam poll was attached in view of the efforts made by Naidu to keep her out of the Assembly at any cost. Lakshmi Parvathi was equally determined to win the seat and check any malpractice or rigging. She won the seat by a margin of 14,000 votes.

Talking to reporters soon after the final trend was available, Naidu said the electorate, by returning Telugu Desam candidates for the Nandyal Parliamentary seat and eight out of the 11 Assembly seats, has endorsed the partys and its governments policies including hike in rice, power and water rates.

He thanked the electorate for backing us to the hilt as was obvious from the election results and said the Govvernment would go ahead with developmental programmes with greater determination and enthusiasm.