Asserting that workers are thereal strength of Congress, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister NKiran Kumar Reddy Monday said the party would remain strongeven if some leaders switched over to other parties.
Against the backdrop of some Congress MLAs joining YSRCongress (YSRCP) of Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Chief Ministerpointed out that Congress had a thumping win in elections eventhough as many as 150 MLAs quit the party in 1977.
He was addressing a gathering of newly-electedpresidents of agriculture cooperative societies from Addankiin Prakasam district, where the sitting Congress MLA movedover to YSRCP.
"If leaders feel that the party is surviving becauseof me, that is wrong. Workers are the strength of Congress. Ifold water goes, fresh water comes," a Congress release quotedKiran Kumar Reddy as saying.
None understood why the Addanki MLA had quit theCongress, he said.
State Municipal Administration Minister M MahidharReddy, who hails from Prakasam district, said Congressactivists stood by the party though leaders had ditched it.
Congress' success in cooperative polls proved thatpoint, he said.
Congress Lok Sabha member from Vijayawada L Rajagopalsaid the party is strong in AP under the leadership of SoniaGandhi and due to the effective implementation of welfareschemes by the Kiran Kumar Reddy government.