Danapur, June 2 :     Former Congress president Sitaram Kesri today set at rest speculation that he was bidding goodbye to the corridors of power, saying he had no plans to 'escape from Delhi'. 'I'm not an escapist. I have fought many a battle in my seven decade-long association with the Congress. I will involve myself more with the activities of the party's frontal organisation and live like a true Congressman,' he told The Telegraph over phone from New Delhi. Some reports today said the 83-year-old former Congress president was considering settling down in Danapur. Murmurs that Kesri was about to take political sanyas began after he was denied a Rajya Sabha ticket. The speculation gained ground following his recent visit to Patna where he met a number of political leaders, including Laloo Yadav, who is believed to have requested the leader to join his party. According to Moin Ansari, who accompanied his friend to Danapur, Kesri told his relatives to spare a room for him so that he could settle down at his place of birth. Even his son Amarnath Kesri is confident his father will stay here for good after being away from the family for over three decades. 'Papa will now be reunited with the family after 35 years. He will spend his last days peacefully with us,' he said. But Kesri senior apparently had a change of heart. He asserted today that 'there was no question of leaving Delhi, but definitely I will frequent Patna to catch up on the lost moments with my near and dear ones'. His family members are, however, still hopeful that he would return to Danapur and are refurbishing his sprawling room in the ancestral house. Kesri's meeting with Laloo a few days ago triggered talks of a possible union of chacha and bhatija. Laloo, who has a lot of respect for the Congress leader for his 'social justice theory', offered Kesri a Rajya Sabha ticket from Bihar. 'Aap is umar me kahan jayenge? Kyon na hamare saath de, aapko humlog izzat karte hain (Where will you go at this age? Why not join us? We all respect you),' Laloo is believed to have said. But Kesri is not interested. 'Bahut dekh lia subkuch. Hum to tiranga se shuru kiye. Isme hum marenge bhi (I have seen enough in life. I began my career as a Congressman and I want to be draped in the tricolour when I die),' he replied. But isn't he unhappy at being sidelined in the party he once headed? 'In my career as a politician, I have myself distributed so many tickets. I am not bothered at all,' he said. There was, however, a tinge bitterness about the younger generation's attitude towards him. 'I was given the post of AICC president in 1997 by Narasimha Rao and thereafter I won the AICC post by votes from Congressmen. But the way I was shooed out pained me,' he said. A section of party workers in Patna felt that Kesri's veiled announcement that he was leaving Delhi was aimed at pressuring Sonia Gandhi who is due to visit Dhanbad tomorrow. Kesri, however, laughed off the suggestion. 'These do not bother me anymore. I have now decided to divert my energies on organisations like Khadi Udyog and Seva Dal,' he said.