Journalism of Courage
Two days after city MP Suresh Kalmadi hoped to get the Congress ticket for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls,Congress MLC Mohan Joshi on Monday said there are many aspirants for the party ticket but expressed confidence that the high command would consider his loyalty to the party and his performance as legislator before finalising the candidate for Pune seat.
When pointed out that Kalmadi was hoping to get the Congress ticket,Joshi said he did not wish to comment on others and was confident that the party will give him an opportunity in the next elections. I had contested Lok Sabha polls as Congress candidate in 1999 elections and held the second position. Its because of performance in adverse situations that the Congress could manage to retain its stake for the Lok Sabha seat in the seat-sharing arrangement with NCP, Joshi said.
The Congress MLC said he has been with the party for past 38 years. I am confident that the party will reward my loyalty and good work, Joshi said. The sudden appearance of Kalmadi in a public platform and civic headquarters on Friday,while expressing hope of getting Congress ticket,had raised many eyebrows in the political circle.
Earlier,Joshi talked about the issues he raised in the recently concluded monsoon session of state legislative assembly. He said the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has admitted that 753 of its flats to be allotted for rehabilitation of citizens are lying vacant and doors and windows of 170 flats are damaged. The state government,on behalf of PMC,said the civic body has 2,169 flats in its possession of which 1,416 are being given on rent to those rehabilitated for various reasons. As many as 753 flats are vacant,he said.
On his query on leakages in the canal providing water from Khadakwasla dam,he said the state government had assured him that the irrigation department would undertake repair work two days in a month.
