Make peace with colleagues, Alva told

The latest move is meant to ease the leadership wrangle within the party’s State unit which intensified a few weeks ago when Nav Nirman Vedike, party’s apolitical wing, demanded Alva’s removal.

Alva who has rebutted their charges of being undemocratic in his functioning as state chief, is reported to have been reprimanded by Hedge for his attitude towards the recent Vedike entrants from the Janata Dal including Deshpande who has “technically” not quit.

When contacted, Alva admitted to The Indian Express that he had been pulled up by Hegde for what he called as his “arrogant”attitude towards his colleagues. Their involvement in the constitution of the task force committees is a step to remedy that impression, he added.

Hegde, who flew into the city last Friday from Delhi accompanied by Alva, has reportedly made it clear that he does not want the antagonism between the two groups within the party to continue.

State unit president Alva’s supporters within the party believe that Hegde, who returned to Delhi on Sunday night, is reluctant to replace him as state president, knowing his organisational abilities and the fact that he enjoys widespread support in the party’s rank and file. The latter was clearly in evidence, they point out, during the party’s state executive meeting attended by all the district presidents late last month.

However, they also feel that Hegde does not want to lose Deshpande and his supporters, though small in number, on grounds that it would be bad for the party’s “image”. Clearly, Deshpande’s `defection’ to the Hegde camp from the Janata Dal hasbeen a triumph of sorts and the Union Minister is not keen to lose that psychological advantage accruing to his party, it is believed.

Meanwhile, Alva has been given little choice but to try and bury the hatchet with the Deshpande group. As a first step he has invited suggestions from them, for the inclusion of their candidates to head the thirteen task force committees. These committees are being set up to handle the membership drive in the 27 State districts. Each task force is expected to handle the enrollment effort in two adjoining districts. A meeting has been called on July 27 to formally appoint these committees, Alva said.

August 15 has been targeted as the last date for enrollment after which they will be ready for organisational polls tentatively scheduled for November end.

Asked whether he expected to contest for the post of state party president, Alva who now describes himself as an “ad hoc president appointed at the pleasure of the national president” said “After the turmoil of thelast three months, I am not inclined to do so. My tenure as an ad hoc president is more than enough. It is time for me to exit and make way for better and more popular leaders”.

To another question he, however, said that there was “No question of leaving the party or distancing myself from Hegde. I stand by him politically. I have no political philosophy of my own”.