Hyderabad: Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Chief K Chandrasekhara Rao was surging ahead in Karimnaagar Lok Sabha constituency where counting of votes began today (Dec 7, 2006)even as the ruling Congress and main Oppositon TDP were locked in a neck to neck race in Bobbili.

Rao was leading in all the seven assembly segments of Karimnagar consitutnecy with a lead of over 17,000 votes after the completion of first round of counting, official sources said.

In Bobbili, Congress candidatee Bothsa Jhansi Rani established an initial lead of thousand votes over her TDP rival K Appala Naidu after the first round but the latest reports from the counting centres suggest that the Opposition party is fast catching up in the subsequent rounds.

By-elections to the two constituencies were held on December 4.