Athavale ready to sort out differences

Announcing the programme for intra-party elections, Athavale said the election to the post of party president will be held on December 26 at the all-India party council meeting in Pune. The party has requested the State Election Commission to extend the date until December 31 for the elections. He urged Ambedkar to participate in the process.

He said he was ready for any compromise to avoid a split adding that Ambedkar’s charges did not mean that he was in dire straits. “I am sincere in my efforts to end internal disputes. However, I feel Ambedkar is avoiding me," he said. The party must stand united to topple the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena Government in the State, he added.

Athavale said the party’s membership drive will be held between October 1 to 21, and the voters list will be ready by October 31. Elections at village, town, ward and cantonment levels will be held on November 7. The taluka level polls on November 17, district-level polls on November 27, state-level polls on December 10 and presidential polls will be held on December 26. The new president will be take over at a rally on December 27, in Pune.

Athavale however, ruled out the possibility of Ambedkar contesting in the party’s presidential polls. He said Ambedkar’s appointment as election officer to supervise party elections last year meant that he (Ambedkar) could not contest for the post.