Mangaluru: "Congress suffered in recent zilla panchayat elections due to SDPI. They helped BJP to wrest power in Dakshina Kannada zilla panchayat. We had hopes of winning 20 to 21 seats in the zilla panchayat election. But the candidates fielded by SDPI at some places thwarted our candidates from registering victory. SDPI candidates neither won these seats, nor allowed Congress candidates to emerge victorious, thus indirectly helping BJP," said Kodijal Ibrahim, Acting president of Dakshina Kannada district Congress committee.

Speaking at a function arranged at Kontapadavu in Pavoor village for congratulating winning candidates of Congress party on Tuesday March 1, Ibrahim expressed satisfaction at the fact that Congress has risen to power in the taluk panchayat.

At the function, specially abled Rashid, Jayaram Alva, and Ivan D'Souza were felicitated. Zilla panchayat member, Seema Melvyn D'Souza, Dr U T Iftikar, taluk panchayat members, Muhammed Monu Malar, Abdul Jabbar Boliyar, Surekha Chandrahas, Noor Jahan, Abubakker Siddique, Padmavati Poojary, Alfred Wilma D'Souza and several other dignitaries, members of Ullal city municipal council as well as president and some members of Pavoor gram panchayat were present.