Cong Mayor next year, says MoreRamakrishna More, recently elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Council from Pune, declared today that the Congress will win the mayoral election in the city next year. More's declaration assumes significance in view of the Congress being in a minority in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and his attempts to take over control of the city politics from heavyweight Suresh Kalmadi.Even though the combine of the Pune Vikas Aghadi, BJP and Shiv Sena has a brute majority in the PMC and it is a foregone conclusion that they will win the mayoral election. More's assertion today at a meeting of the city unit of the Congress is a step towards reviving the party's position. Mohan Joshi, city unit chief, told media persons after the meeting that the party would strongly agitate against issues like price rise, deteriorating law and order situation and the problem of water in the newly merged 38 fringe villages. The meeting also expressed its gratitude towards the successful leadership of party president Sonia Gandhi in the recent elections for the legislative assemblies of Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.Meanwhile six task forces will be appointed in order to win over the PVA members to support the Congress candidate in the mayoral elections. It may be recalled that five PVA members had met Congress strongman Sharad Pawar expressing their willingness for re-entering the party fold. While the exodus has yet to begin, the Congress has stepped the pressure on PVA to break the front.Mishap claims 2A tea dealer residing at Dhankawadi was killed along with his wife when a truck collided with their motorcycle on the road linking Dhankawadi with the Pune-Satara road late on Thursday night. Kailash Ramdayal Lathi (42), who supplies tea to various hotels in Pune, and his wife Dwarka were heading toward their house at Gaurav Apartment building from Swargate side when the mishap took place.
