LUCKNOW, Oct. 13 -- A day after a scuffle at the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) office when Aradhana Mishra took charge as the new state president from Ajay Rai, the latter said he remained a committed Congress soldier and would win the Pindra assembly seat in Varanasi-his political home turf-for the party, indicating he was not going anywhere else. Rai, a five-time former MLA from Kolasla (1996, 2002, 2007 and 2009 by-election) and Pindra (2012), appeared unfazed over his removal as the UP Congress chief last week and finding himself at the centre of a controversy in the scuffle at the UPCC headquarters. In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, Rai said: "I remain a committed soldier of the Congress and will win the Pindra assembly seat." Ajay Rai contested as the INDIA bloc candidate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi and gave him a tough fight in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He said after leaving the BJP in 2009, he remained with the Congress and had faith in Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. He also said he worked with full strength to fulfil whatever responsibility the party gave him, including the state president's post, and will continue doing so. "For three years, I worked as state chief for the Congress and will remain a committed soldier. Now my focus is on winning the Pindra seat for the party as I know each family in this constituency in Varanasi," he said. Asked about Sunday's incident, he said, "I made sure that anti-party and nuisance-makers stay away. The incident might be related to my actions against them. For now, I have given proof and told everything to the new state chief to look into." Rai had gone to the Congress to hand over charge as per party tradition. When he reached the office, a woman leader commented that she did not want to see his face. The matter flared up, leading to the alleged use of fisticuffs by some people. Abuses and footwear were hurled before new state chief Aradhana Mishra and her father Pramod Tiwari, a Rajya Sabha MP, could manage the situation. Rai joined the Congress before the 2009 Lok Sabha elections after leaving the BJP. "I left the BJP and fought the election against Narendra Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha poll. I had left the BJP after facing humiliation," he said. Rai, a known figure in Purvanchal, said he would do as the party high command says. "For three years I could not visit Pindra regularly but my son was with people. Now, I have begun meeting people," Rai said....