Notwithstanding a weak leadership, the troubles on the Telangana front and the threat from the YSR Congress party led by Jagan Mohan Reddy, the ruling Congress party fared well in the just concluded polls for co-operative societies in Andhra Pradesh.

Though the elections were held on a non-party basis, Congress-affiliated candidates trumped the list by winning 454 primary agricultural cooperative societies out of the 955 in the first phase of elections.

The TDP trailed Congress by winning 276 whereas the YSRCP managed 163 cooperatives in the elections — a precursor to the 2014 general elections that reflect the reality at the grassroots level.

The result was quite a dampener for the Telangana-centric TRS party, which suffered rout in some of its strongholds and managed to secure only 60 cooperatives.

A happy, state Congress president Botsa Satyanarayana said farmers had reposed faith in the Central and state governments.

But the TDP and YSRC alleged irregularities and misuse of power by the ruling party.