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Journalism of Courage
PUNE, February 10: Asserting that no differences exist between the BJP-Shiv Sena and the Rashtriya Svayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over the issue of supporting Suresh Kalmadi from the Pune Lok Sabha constituency, Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde today said that the saffron alliance was expecting the former MP to play a "much larger role" in helping BJP gain power at the Centre.
"Kalmadi had played a key role during those days. He would be very useful this time around," Munde said in an oblique reference to the unsuccessful move by 36 MPs led by Kalmadi who had planned to break away from the Congress and join the BJP after the Congress had withdrawn support to the United Front government.
Talking to newspersons here today, before leaving for a three-day election tour to Marathwada, Munde tried to put at rest the queries from the scribes as to why Kalmadi was preferred over former MP Anna Joshi.
Munde said that Joshi would be compensated by the BJP for the sacrifice he (Joshi) had made for the party. He,however, refused to elaborate further.
Reacting sharply to the statement issued to press by Avinash Dharmadhikari, the bureaucrat-turned-social activist, that there was a strong resentment in the local RSS cadres over the saffron alliance decision to support Kalmadi, Munde said, "Every RSS worker will vote for Kalmadi. A vote to Kalmadi will be a vote to Atal Behari Vajpayee. There should be no doubts in this regard."
He, however, remained tight-lipped when the scribes pointed out to him that a senior RSS leader, who is a close relative of Dharmadhikari, was actively campaigning for the former IAS officer.
Munde reiterated that a split in the Congress was inevitable, claiming that seven senior Congress leaders would join the BJP within a fortnight. Pointing out that senior leaders like Udayanraje Bhosle, Vijay More, Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, Shahu Maharaj,and Nivedita Mane have already joined the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance, Munde said that the Congress would be vanquished from its bastion, the WesternMaharashtra, after the Lok Sabha polls. He expressed confidence that the alliance would win at least 40 seats out of the total 48 in Maharashtra.
Even Sonia’s public meetings would not be able to save the Sharad Pawar-led Congress in Maharashtra, Munde said adding "People in Maharashtra are educated enough. They will not be impressed by Sonia Gandhi’s speeches."
"On the other hand BJP stalwarts including Vajpayee and Pramod Mahajan, Shiv Sena leaders including Bal Thackeray, Raj Thackeray and Manohar Joshi would be addressing a series of public meetings in the second phase of campaigning in the State," he said. A huge rally to be addressed jointly by Vajpayee and Thackeray has been organised at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on February 25.
