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

Mangaluru, Dec 22: District in-charge minister Ramanath Rai on Tuesday December 22 said that all gram, taluk and zilla panchayat members who are supported by Congress are 'duty-bound' to vote for Congress candidate Pratapchandra Shetty in the coming council elections. The polling for the elections will be held on December 27 and results will be declared on December 30.

Addressing a press meet at the district Congress office here, Rai said, "The party has selected Pratapchandra Shetty after considering opinions of the MLAs and senior leaders. The district Congress committee is very confident about Pratapchandra's win in the MLC elections. He is a clean politician and has no black mark in his career so far. Moreover, he is like an ascetic."

Denying that there was groupism in the party, Rai said, "There is no confusion in the party, we will work together for the victory of the Congress candidate. We need to strengthen the party in the district to counter the communal forces. It was the Congress which strengthened the Panchayat Raj and made provision to all sects of people to take part in the administration."

Attacking the union government, he said, "The NDA government is not giving importance to programmes which can strengthen the panchayats. There is increase in the prices of commodities. Though international market price of crude oil has reduced, there is no reduction in petrol and diesel prices in the country."

He also informed that the district Congress would hold a protest in all gram panchayats on Wednesday December 23 over the 'false' accusations against Congress national president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi in the Nationald Herald case.

MLC Ivan D'Souza, district Congress interim president Ibrahim Kodijal, district Youth Congress president Mithun Kumar Rai and others were present.