Minister attributes party poll success to welfare programmes

He hopes party will continue its winning streak in civic polls

Celebration time: Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao beating the drum to celebrate the victory of YSRCP-backed candidates in the panchayat elections at Bheemunipatnam, in Visakhapatnam on Monday.

Minister for Tourism, Culture and Youth Affairs Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao beat the drum and congratulated the Sarpanch candidates, backed by the YSR Congress Party(YSRCP), who won the gram panchayat polls at Bheemunipatnam here on Monday.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said that the stupendous success of the YSRCP-backed candidates in Bheemunipatnam constituency was a reflection of the growing confidence of the people on the government. All the 15 panchayats in Bheemili constituency had voted the YSRCP-backed candidates to power, he said.

The party-backed candidates bagged 95% seats in Padmanabham mandal and 90% in Anandapuram mandal, he said.

The TDP failed to get even candidates to contest the elections and the TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu had to force the party-backed candidates to file their nominations, he said. Mr. Srinivasa Rao said the YSRCP had created a sensation in the State with about 10,000 party-backed candidates winning and attributed the success to the welfare schemes launched by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao predicted that the YSRCP would continue its winning streak in the forthcoming elections to municipalities and municipal corporations.

He said that Mr. Naidu was unable to accept defeat and was making allegations against the election officials and the police.