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Journalism of Courage
PUNE, February 10: "Only time will tell who has been made a scapegoat,"Vitthal Tupe, the Congress candidate from Pune, said today in a sharp reaction to the statement by the Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde that he (Tupe) had been made a scapegoat by Congress leader Sharad Pawar.
While launching the poll campaign of Suresh Kalmadi here yesterday, Munde had said that Pawar should have contested the elections from Pune. The Deputy Chief Minister had said that he felt sorry about Tupe who was forced to face a battle with a stalwart like Kalmadi supported by BJP-Shiv Sena alliance.
Talking to newspersons here today, Tupe said, "Munde should remember that I am not a novice in the field. I was elected to the Legislative Assembly three times and know well how to contest the elections."
He said that besides Congress, several socio-political organisations in the city had supported him. "All the leftist forces including Rashtra Seva Dal, United Front and Janata Dal have rallied behind me," said the formerJanata Dal leader turned Congressman adding that his candidature would also be supported by Hamal Panchayat and Rickshaw Panchayat and labour unions.
Tupe who is currently emphasising on door-to-door campaigning and has taken out padyatras in 50 municipal wards, said that the public meetings of senior Congress leaders would be held in the second phase of campaigning.
Senior Congress leaders Sharad Pawar and Vitthalrao Gadgil would be addressing public meetings in the six assembly segments on February 23 while Chhagan Bhujbal would be addressing the meetings on Feb 21. Besides, these separate public meetings of Salim Zakeria, Laxman Mane and Ramdas Athavale have been planned.
