Mysore/Mysuru: The newly elected Congress MLAs from Mysuru district were felicitated by the Mysuru City and District Congress Committee during a programme held at Congress Bhavan near the City Railway Station here yesterday to commemorate the 32nd death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by offering floral tributes to his portrait.

Speaking on the occasion, Chamaraja MLA K. Harishgowda said that he was thankful to the party leaders and workers for their efforts in his victory and assured to serve the people to the best of his capacity.

Nanjangud MLA Darshan Dhruvanarayan said, he has been elected as the MLA from Nanjangud in place of his father late R. Dhruvanarayan, a KPCC Working President, who was planning to contest the elections, before his untimely death.

Maintaining that he will not betray the trust reposed by the people of the Constituency on his father, he said he would work towards finding solutions to their problems and address their grievances.

K.R. Nagar MLA D. Ravishankar said that the Congress came to power in the State whenever the party performed well in the undivided Mysuru district that comprised Chamarajanagar. Pointing out that the party bagged eight out of eleven seats in Mysuru and three out of four seats in Chamarajanagar district, he said that the party totally won 11 seats in the 2 districts and also did exceedingly well in neighbouring Mandya and Kodagu districts.

H.D. Kote MLA Anil Chikkamadu said that the voters had broken the myth that an MLA will not be re-elected from the same Constituency for the second successive term.

MLAs Harishgowda, Darshan Dhruvanarayan, Ravishankar and Anil Chikkamadu and MLC Dr. D. Thimmaiah were felicitated on the occasion.

Though the District Congress had expected 7 Legislators, excluding Chief Minister Siddharamaiah, who was elected from Varuna, three MLAs — Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa of T. Narasipur, K. Venkatesh of Periyapatna and Tanveer Sait of NR Constituency — did not turn up for the event.

The new MLAs were welcomed with garlands and bouquets by Congress workers at Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa Circle (Metropole Circle) on JLB Road, from where they were led in a procession to the function venue. Congressmen also garlanded the statue of Field Marshal Cariappa at the Circle.

District Congress President Dr. B.J. Vijaykumar, City President R. Murthy, former MP Kagalawadi M. Shivanna, leaders K. Marigowda, Latha Siddashetty, B.M. Ramu, Kalale Keshavamurthy, Susheela Keshavamurthy, Hedathale Manjunath, Basavaraja Nayaka, M. Shivanna, Girish Nayaka, N.R. Nagesh, Shivaprasad, Talakadu Manjunathan and others  were present.