Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada district youth Congress president Mithun Rai, on Thursday clarified that while he was pained by the denial of a party ticket to him, he will continue to keep working to strengthen the Congress party.
Addressing a press meet here Rai who was aspiring to contest from the Mulky-Moodbidri constituency, with the backing of sitting MLA Abhaychandra Jain said that he was overwhelmed by the support that Youth Congress members had extended to him.
“Post announcement of candidates for assembly seats, Congress President Rahul Gandhi held a 15-minute discussion with me during my visit to New Delhi,” said Rai adding that the meeting had only strenghtened his resolve to see the former elected as the Prime Minister in the upcoming general elections.
Responding to a query if the party leadership had offered him any other role in the Congress to pacify his feelings, Rai said that no such offers have been made to him so far.
“My role is to organise and strengthen the party at booth-level and I will continue to do so in order to take the Congress party to further heights with no selfish intention,” stated Rai.
He also mentioned that District in-charge minister Rai and District Congress President Harish Kumar have rejected the resignations submitted by the Youth Congress members.
It may be recalled that a high voltage drama had ensued a day after the Congress leadership announced its party candidates for the elections, with miffed members of the Youth Congress submitting en masse resignations over denial of ticket to Mithun Rai.
Rai had emerged as the contenders for the seat after Jain had openly said that he would like to make way for a youth leader in an obvious reference to Mithun Rai. However, some last minute political calculations saw the Congress leadership announcing Jain’s candidature for the seat.
