Pics: Spoorthi Ullal

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (NJC)

Mangaluru, Sep 11: Senior Congress leader and KPCC general secretary Padmaraj R Poojary has been appointed as the new president of the Dakshina Kannada (DK) District Congress Committee (DCC). The appointment was announced by the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) as part of its organisational restructuring across Karnataka.

Addressing the media at the Congress Bhavan in Mallikatte on Thursday, Padmaraj expressed gratitude to the AICC and senior Congress leaders for entrusting him with the responsibility.

The appointment was made under the party’s ‘Sanghatan Srujana Abhiyan’, under which AICC observers visited districts, consulted party leaders, office-bearers and workers, and submitted reports before the appointments were finalised.

Padmaraj said that more than 40 senior Congress workers had applied for the post of Dakshina Kannada District Congress president. The observers visited various constituencies and blocks to gather feedback from grassroots-level party workers and key leaders.

Recalling his political journey, Padmaraj said he worked as an ordinary party worker before being appointed KPCC general secretary in 2023. He later contested the Lok Sabha election on a Congress ticket and secured 6,14,987 votes.

He said the election result should not be viewed merely as a defeat, noting that the support of nearly 6.15 lac voters demonstrated that Congress has a strong base and a promising future in Dakshina Kannada.

Padmaraj also said he had remained active among party workers after the election and would continue to work at the grassroots level.

He called for unity among Congress workers and said the party would focus on strengthening its organisation at every booth to secure victory in the upcoming elections.

Speaking about the Mangaluru City Corporation elections, Padmaraj said the party would collectively evaluate the potential and winnability of candidates before distributing tickets.

“What we need here are winning candidates. Based on that criterion, tickets will be distributed and we will definitely work towards gaining power in the Mangaluru City Corporation,” he said.

The press meet was attended by several Congress leaders and office-bearers, including Santhosh Kumar Shetty, president, Moodbidri Block Congress; Appi, president, Mahila Congress (District Women’s Wing); Salim Ammadu, president, South Block Congress; Padmanabha Kotian, president, Gurupura Block Congress; Dinesh, president, SC/ST Cell; Subhashchandra Shetty, representative, Panchayat Raj Sangatane; Lawrence D'Souza, president, labour cell; Suhas Alva, representative, NSUI; Bashir, vice president, Youth Congress; Neerajpal, district vice president, District Congress Committee; Chitharanjan Shetty, district vice president, DCC; and DK Ashok, senior leader and party representative.