Joshi supporters remain unruffled

PUNE, Dec 8: In a strategic move, the supporters of city Congress chief Mohan Joshi today decided to ignore the demand made by a group of...

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PUNE, Dec 8: In a strategic move, the supporters of city Congress chief Mohan Joshi today decided to ignore the demand made by a group of party corporators for his removal.

The party sources said the Joshi supporters gave up the plan to launch a signature campaign after holding the discussions with senior party leaders. Several party corporators, including staunch supporters of Sharad Pawar, today preferred to maintain a distance from those who had launched the attack on Joshi.

Joshi supporters sought to underplay the objection raised by his opponents that the workers involved in anti-party activities were appointed as the office-bearers. They maintain that the list of office-bearers was finalised after holding discussions with MPs Vitthal Tupe and V N Gadgil.

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The party sources said Joshi had to accommodate a few workers, who had contested the civic election against the official party nominees, since a large number of party workers had already joined Pune Vikas Aghadi, floated by Suresh Kalmadi. They said the same workers had toiledhard during the Lok Sabha elections.

The party sources also ruled out any possibility of removing Joshi from the post since he enjoyed the support of both Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Prataprao Bhosale. They point out that Pawar had already asked his supporters not to disturb Joshi few days back.

Meanwhile, a few party corporators feel that the rebel corporators might have the blessings of Ramkrishna More, the newly elected MLC.