Race begins in Congress to take charge of Suresh Kalmadi’s turf

With senior Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi languishing in jail in connection with the Commonwealth Games scam, three top Congress ministers from the state are in the race to take charge of the party in Pune district.

Minister for cooperation Harshvardhan Patil, industries minister Narayan Rane and forest minister Patangrao Kadam have expressed their desire to lead the party in the region, which also happens to be the home turf of NCP president Sharad Pawar.

The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has decided to make Pune its most favoured destination keeping in mind the local body elections. The Congress has set its eye on consolidating its electoral base in western Maharashtra via Pune district, considered the unchallenged fiefdom of the NCP. The tussle among the three ministers to wield party control in the district will also signal their willingness to challenge NCP on their home turf.

While some in the MPCC have written off Kadam and Patil, they feel Rane can make a difference if allowed to lead from the front. “Ever since the AICC has dismissed Kalmadi from the organisation, there was a chaos in Pune. Those loyal to Kalmadi continue to hold him as their leader. The anti-Kalmadi camp wants the state Congress to sideline Kalmadi loyalists,” an MPCC leader said.

Appointment of Kalmadi supporters in key position has resulted in their boycotting the party functions. The anti-Kalmadi group  has expressed their displeasure with the leadership. MPCC chief Manikrao Thakre is under pressure to set the party in order in Pune. Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has, on two occasions,
intervened to set things in order.

Political managers in the Congress said, “Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s defeat in the bypoll has emboldened the Congress to make inroads in the region.”