Unending rounds of negotiations between the Congress and the NCP on seat adjustment and Pune MP Suresh Kalmadi’s statement on local seat-sharing have dampened the spirit of both the parties.Congress insiders say Kalmadi had hit several birds with a single stone by saying that Pune Cantonment, Parvati and Bopodi will remain with the Congress, while Kasba Peth and Shivajinagar will go to the NCP. But his recent announcement that the party was ready to surrender the Bhavani Peth seat to the RPI has shocked many.Bhavani Peth has the largest number of Congress aspirants: heavyweights like Mohan Joshi, Aminuddin Penwale, Rashid Khan, Haji Nadaf, Arvind Shinde, Sadanand Shetty, Rashid Shaikh and Shobha Barne.Even if Kalmadi is trying to woo the Dalits by surrendering Bhavani Peth to the RPI, the Muslim factor cannot be ignored. Muslim workers in the Congress say they got representation only once, in 1980, when Aminuddin Penwale was elected. They have reportedly told Kalmadi it’s time he rewarded them for their loyalty.Kalmadi was also under pressure to claim the Shivajinagar seat for the party. But he was always reluctant to do so, saying Shivajinagar had given a lead of 20,000 to Pradeep Rawat in the Lok Sabha polls and there was no point in insisting on the seat. This has jeopardised the future of at least two corporators: Vandana Chavan and Anil Bhosale.What will also be a big headache for the party is the fact that city Congress chief Mohan Joshi has sought nomination from Bopodi. While sitting MLA Chandrakant Chhajed has begun campaigning here, the party will find it difficult to reject Joshi’s request.
