Nana Patekar to back Kalmadi

PUNE, February 10: "I would have supported Avinash Dharmadhikari had he announced his candidature before Suresh Kalmadi," renowned...

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PUNE, February 10: "I would have supported Avinash Dharmadhikari had he announced his candidature before Suresh Kalmadi," renowned film actor Nana Patekar said here on Monday.

Patekar had played a key role in organising a joint meeting between Kalmadi and Chief Minister Manohar Joshi and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray. The actor had assisted Kalmadi to get his candidature, as an independent candidate from Pune Lok Sabha constituency, cleared by Thackeray.

Addressing a function organised by the Janseva Cooperative Bank Ltd here today, Patekar said he was unaware that the bureaucrat-turned-politician, Dharmadhikari, would throw his hat in the election arena. "He was late. I had already supported Kalmadi, who is my good friend. I have no regrets about the decision," Patekar said.

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On the other hand, Dharmadhikari while asserting that he would support Atal Behari Vajpayee if elected from the Pune Lok Sabha constituency, on Monday made a veiled attack on the BJP-Shiv Sena leadership saying, "they aresupporting Dushashan to acquire the thrown of Hastinapur."

Addressing a meeting of his supporters, Dharmadhikari minced no words to criticise the saffron alliance decision to support Kalmadi. However, he was cautious enough of not naming a party or a person during his hour-long speech and repeatedly stated that he did not believe in "negative" poll campaign.

"They are supporting Dushashan because he has money. He had helped them when they were in trouble. In the Mahabharat of 1998, all what they expect from Arjun is to make sacrifice," Dharmadhikari said and recited a Marathi poem written by him to describe the recent political happenings in Pune in particular and the nation in general.

The former IAS officer said that he was contesting the election to unite those people who wish to free India from the stranglehold of corruption and criminalisation. He felt that expressing concern over corruption and criminalisation was not enough. The common man should adopt an aggressivestand to fight these evil forces, he said.

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He pooh-poohed the election manifesto of Suresh kalmadi, saying "no doubt the development of Pune should be our goal. I will also work to achieve it. But, where is the plan which relates to national problems. I would be glad if people with such limited vision contest the Pune municipal corporation elections." The meeting held at an open plot of land, owned by the Gnyanaprabodhini Trust, was attended by 600 volunteers who vouched to actively participate in the election campaign by organising corner meetings. Dharmadhikari plans to hold 150 such corner meetings, besides 6 huge public rallies including the one to be held at the historic Shaniwarwada grounds.

Dharmadhikari said he was confidant that the response to his candidature would increase within a fortnight and he would win the election by a margin of 50,000 votes. His supporters Ram Dimbale, Vidyatai Ketkar, Appa Chondhe, Nitin Bhosle and others also spoke.