Kadam takes centre stage, leaves Kalmadi men in jitters

PUNE: Former Congress member of Parliament Suresh Kalmadi's supporters in the city are worried about his political future with another leader, Vishwajeet Kadam, exercising greater control over the party's affairs in Pune and filling up the vacuum ahead of the state assembly elections.
The city unit of the party has started a pre-election exercise by organizing assembly constituency-wise meetings of party workers.Acting on directions from the state leadership, Kadam has taken keen interest in these meetings and has shown more active participation in the city Congress' activities.
A section of Congress leaders, including some of Kalmadi's supporters, had hoped that Kadam would turn his attention to his home constituency of Sangli after his defeat in the Lok Sabha polls. But, Kadam, who is keen on playing a long political innings in Pune, has started taking centre stage in the party's affairs.
Kadam has not taken on Kalmadi, knowing that the suspended leader controls a group of party leaders and corporators in the city. "He (Kalmadi) has given 20 years to the party. I have maintained this stand since the Lok Sabha polls. Any decision to withdraw his suspension from the party will be taken by party high-command. This is all I have to say," he said when asked if Kalmadi chapter was over in the city's politics.
City Congress chief Abhay Chhajed echoed Kadam's views when asked about the demand raised by some corporators that Kalmadi be re-inducted. Some corporators present for the party meetings demanded that city leaders
pursue the withdrawal of Kalmadi's suspension with state leaders. His supporters fear getting sidelined in the city unit with the emergence of Kadam.
Kalmadi was suspended from the party in April 2011 following his arrest in the CWG case. "He (Kalmadi) has strong connections with the party's workers in Pune and the party could take advantage of his experience in the state assembly elections. We have submitted a memorandum to chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and state Congress chief Manikrao Thakre asking them to support the demand to withdraw Kalmadi's suspension," said a senior Congress leader.