Power play

The Congress has, meanwhile, also agreed to leave Akola in Vidarbha to Prakash Ambedkar, the chastened grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar who was earlier playing hard to get in the hope that the Election Commission8217;s decision on a dispute vis-a-vis the RPI executive elections would go in his favour. quot;Now that it has not, Congress leaders asked me if I would agree to sign his nomination forms. I said Iwould provide he assures us that he will not put up dummy candidates against legitimate ones in the various constituencies to cut into our votes and chances. I have made it amply clear that we cannot afford to take positions at this point of time,quot; Gavai told The Indian Express.

With regard to its Mumbai seat, however, the RPI might have little choice, given that the SP has already announced the candidature of its party MLA Sohail Lokhandwala from Mumbai South Central. RPI leaders have so far been wary of contesting from Mumbai North Central because this is the home constituency of Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi. Nevertheless, they are under persuasion by several Congressmen who believe that barring the Parel and Naigaum areas, between the captive votes of the SP, the RPI and the Congress, it is possible for a candidate supported by all the parties to swing the seat against the Shiv Sena8217;s Narayan Athawale.

The arrangement, however, leaves several Congressmen bitterly disappointed. Among these are close supporters of Congress president Sitaram Kesri who were eyeing both the Mumbai North Central and the Mumbai North West seats. Tushar Gandhi8217;s SP candidature has raised several eyebrows as it was believed he would contest with Congress support from elsewhere in the metropolis. But Gandhi says it matters little whether one is in or out of the Congress provided it is not on the wrong side of the communal divide.

quot;The SP has worked among the grassroots and also has a good track record of fighting communal forces. And my candidacy is supported by all parties. In this one-to-one fight I am confident that the criminal and communal elements read Sena8217;s Madhukar Sarpotdar will be adequately defeated.quot;

His candidature has come as a severe disappointment to several hopeful Congressmen, for, opposing a descendant of Mahatma Gandhi would be looked upon as a suicidal move for the Congress. Among those who might now have to bow out are two with impeccable Congress and Gandhian credentials: Rajya Sabha chairperson Najma Heptullah and MPCC general secretary Kripa Shankar Singh. While Heptullah has another year in the Rajya Sabha, Singh is a member of the State Legislative Council. His brother-in-law, Harbans Singh, who fought and lost the Thane seat three times in a row recently joined the SP and will contest on that party8217;s ticket from his home district of Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh. This was essentially because two members of the same family could not be seen aspiring for a ticket in the same state from the same party. The Thane seat will now be contested by the SP8217;s Rajaram Dalvi, once again pitted against the Sena.

But this game of musical chairs is likely to end here. Says Congress spokesperson Ratnakar Mahajan, quot;If we give in to the demands of all the other parties, the Congress will be left merely to campaign for the others. We have decided that we need pacts with only the SP and the RPI to better our performance this time. And we are almost through.quot;

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