Joshi camp gears up to run the show

With the specture of expulsion from the party looming large on Kalmadi,the Joshi camp seems to be gearing up to run the party’s affairs in the city. Though refusing to speak against Kalmadi on record,Joshi is not shy of revealing that it was now his turn to head the party in the city. “I have been a party loyalist for years. I have never left the party. I am sure the Congress leadership will keep these factors in mind before giving me the charge of party’s Pune affair,” said Joshi on Monday. Hastening to add that he was not going to stake claim for the city’s top leader,Joshi said hundreds of Congress workers from the city would be heading to Delhi to urge the high command to appoint a new leader for Pune.

Joshi said he had unsuccessfully contested the parliamentary election from Pune in 1999.

Another Congress leader Gopal Tiwari said the party,if Kalmadi is expelled,might decide about the leader only after the civic elections due next year. “There are many claimants to the post. Whoever does well in next year’s civic election would get the mantle. The numbers would be the deciding factor,” he said.

The Chavan camp too is avoiding any public show of emotions which however reflects in words. “I think it is a lesson for everyone in public life that one must pursue clean politics. In all parties,there are leaders who succumb to wrong ways,” said Chavan,who had bowed out of the Congress after she was humilated by party leaders.