NASHIK, January 21: The stalemate between CPM and Janata Dal (JD) over mutual support in the Malegaon Lok Sabha constituency continued, with CPM leader Prabhakar Sanzgiri announcing that his party would not withdraw its nominee in support of JD's candidate.Addressing a press conference, Sanzgiri said CPM nominee Jiva Pandu Gavit (former party MLA from the Surgana assembly constituency) would contest the Malegaon seat. JD had fielded former MP Haribhau Mahale from Malegaon and had urged the CPM to withdraw Gavit's candidature and support Mahale. Maharashtra JD president and MLA from Malegaon Nihal Ahmed threatened to field a JD candidate in the Dahanu constituency, if CPM did not withdraw its candidate.Sanzgiri said constituents of the United Front would meet on Friday to discuss seat sharing in Maharashtra. However, he said, irrespective of the meeting's decision, CPM would not withdraw its candidate from Malegaon.While Mahale had been elected to the Lok Sabha in 1977 and 1989, Gavit had been elected to the state legislative assembly for four successive terms until 1995, when rebel Congressman Harishchandra Chavan defeated him. The sitting MP from Malegaon is BJP's Kechrubhau Raut who defeated Mahale in the 1996 polls.
