Kalmadi’s return won’t affect polls: Netas

With Pune MP Suresh Kalmadi being granted bail,political parties are not expecting a major impact in the forthcoming elections. With Congress leaders themselves declaring that they would wait for the high command’s decision on taking him back,parties are not worried by his comeback.

Senior Congress leaders maintained that even if he is taken back,he would not campaign for these elections. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has said that his party (NCP) would be going it alone and they have already done adequate ground work. He added that the educated Pune masses know for whom they should caste their vote. “We have dominated both the Zilla Parishad and the municipal corporations and are confident about a repeat performance,’’ Pawar told mediapersons.

He said the Pune MP’s homecoming would not have any impact for the election campaigns for the Congress.

Shiv Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe wants to adopt a wait-and-watch policy on the impact. “I do not want to comment on the court’s decision,but it is too early to react on how the release would impact the elections,’’ she said.

Ajay Shinde of the MNS said with the Congress distancing itself from Kalmadi,they are not bothered about how it would impact the election process. “It would not have any impact,” he said.

BJP MLA Girish Bapat,too,said the suspended Congress MP’s return would not affect the elections,but refused to comment on the court process.