HYDERABAD: The Congress party leaders have time and again said that they would emerge as an alternative to the ruling TRS party in the State. The civic poll results have strengthened their belief, more or less. Truth be told, though the party has come second, it has not offered much competition to the TRS. It bagged five municipalities, but failed to win at least one municipal corporation.
That being said, the party worked hard to emerge second in Ramagundam, Bandlaguda Jagir, Boduppal, Peerzadiguda and Jawaharnagar municipal corporations. It fought well in municipalities like Kamareddy, Bhongir, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Sangareddy, Jangaon, Kalvakurthi and Kosgi. However, the elections were bitter for the stalwarts of the party, namely TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy, party working president and Malkajgiri MP A Revanth Reddy, legislative leader Mallu Bhattti Vikramarka and MLA Jagga Reddy. They could not help the Congress nominees win in municipalities in their respective constituencies as the TRS bulldozed its way, entrenching its mark on the civic bodies.
Only Komatireddy Venkat Reddy could get 20 Congress nominees win in Nalgonda municipality where the TRS also bagged 20 seats. Venkat Reddy helped the Congress win a handsome number of seats in Chityala, Choutuppal and Bhongir. Uttam Kumar Reddy could not get Congress nominees win even in Huzurnagar and Kodad, considered to be his pocket buroughs in the past until the TRS came along and usurped them in the Assembly elections.
Revanth Reddy, who toured his constituency extensively could not get Congress win in any municipalities and same was the fate of the party in his native town of Kondagal in the erstwhile Mahbubangar district.
The pink party pulled off a clean sweep of all the municipal corporations of Boduppal, Peerzadguda, Jawaharnagar and Nizampet, and municipalities of Dammayiguda, Nagaram, Pocharam, Ghatkesar, Gundlapochampalli, Thumukunta, Kompalli and Dundigal.
Mathira Fort, represented by Bhatti Vikramarka, has also been hit. Though the Congress won four seats, the municipality was ultimately grabbed by the ruling TRS with 13 wards. Meanwhile, Minister Harish Rao’s strategy in Sangareddy district came to a fruition. The TRS took over the municipalities of Sangareddy and Sadashivapet, leaving Sangareddy Congress MLA Jagga Reddy with a scorn.
According to sources, the leaders could not instil confidence among the voters that the Congress would be able to serve them better. Revanth Reddy has blamed unethical practices of the TRS for the Congress’ poor performance. With the mighty coming a cropper, there was not much enthusiasm among the party cadre. Gandhi Bhavan, the headquarters of the Telangana Congress, had no visitor today; the brick and mortar structure stood sentinel to the adversity that had crippled the party ever since the bifurcation of the State in 2014.
Though the party was led by its star leaders, including TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy, party working president and MP A Revanth Reddy, legislative leader Mallu Bhattti Vikramarka and MLA Jagga Reddy, none of them were able to help the grand-old party in the civic polls.