Kishan Hegde Kolkebail, newly appointed District Congress Committee president for Udupi district, on Thursday said he will work along with party cadres from the grassroots level to strengthen the party.

Speaking after taking charge of the post at the district Congress office in Udupi from outgoing DCC president Ashok Kumar Kodavoor, Mr. Hegde said,“Every decision I take is not the decision of the DCC president. It is the decision of an ordinary worker. I will never forget the opportunity and respect given by the party.”

He said, “I prefer to go to the doorsteps of workers and share my ideas directly rather than expressing them on the platform. The aim is to be in constant touch with workers and respond to their opinions.”

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee working president and MLC Manjunath Bhandary said, “This is not a transfer of power, but a transfer of responsibility. Earlier, national leaders used to give power after taking the opinion of local leaders. Now, the selection has been made after taking the opinion of the workers.”

Mr. Bhandary said party leadership should respond to every aspiration of party cadres while the party office should be accessible to them round-the-clock. Keeping in mind the upcoming gram panchayat, taluk panchayat and zilla panchayat elections, more emphasis should be placed on the party organisation.

Mr. Kodavooru expressed his gratitude to all the party workers who cooperated during his seven years and seven months in office. He said that he would engage in the party organisation with full cooperation with the new president.

KPCC campaign committee president and former minister Vinay Kumar Sorake, former MP K. Jayaprakash Hegde, Coastal Development Authority Chairman M.A. Ghafoor, former MLA Gopal Pujari, Udupi Block Congress president Ramesh Kanchan and others were present.