Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network- Mangaluru (ANK)

Mangaluru, Jul 4: Harish Kumar took charge as president of District Congress Committee replacing Ibrahim Kodijal, at an installation ceremony at Congress office, Mallikatte on Monday, July 3.

District in-charge minister handed over the party flag and appointment letter to Harish Kumar the newly appointed president of district Congress committee.

Addressing the gathering, the newly appointed president of district Congress committee Harish Kumar said, "I would like to thank Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Oscar Fernandes, Veerappa Moily and other Congress leaders for appointing me as the president of district Congress committee. In the year 1978, I first stepped into Congress party, and from then on I never looked back. From 2004-2017 I served as the president of block Congress and worked hard for the party at the booth level."

He also said, "Our focus should be on forthcoming elections and need to work hard and make sure to sweep all eight constituencies in the forthcoming elections. When it comes booth level, we need to accumulate the highest number of votes. We are looking forward to nominating youth as office bearers of district Congress committee. There is no strong or weak leader, as we all have an equal responsibility to take this party forward. Being a district Congress president, I am not expecting a ticket, but my responsibility is to strengthen the party and prepare for the forthcoming elections."

District in-charge minister Ramanath Rai said, "I congratulate Harish Kumar for taking over as the president of district Congress committee. Harish Kumar has been appointed after the approval of MLA’s, MLC and party representatives and we firmly feel Harish Kumar is an eligible and most deserving candidate for this post."

He also said, "We have a tremendous responsibility on our shoulders as elections are inching closer and we are the party who known for uniting and have taken the confidence of the people of all religion. I request all party workers to work together. Some people are using social media as a weapon to criticise and lay false allegations. One thing we need to know behaviour of the individual matters and people in the district are well aware of my personality from past several years and will not lend ears to destructive criticism and false allegations."

Chief whip of legislative council Ivan D Souza, MLA J R Lobo, Mohiudeen Bava, Abhayachandra Jain, Shakuntala Shetty, Mayor Kavitha Sanil, Youth Congress president Mithun Rai, Shashidhar Hegde and others were present on occasion.