PVA, BJP stalemate continues

BJP candidate Anil Shirole, along with the party8217;s city unit president Pradeep Ravat met Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde yesterday at Dehu. The BJP leaders wanted Munde to intervene. BJP sources said that Munde was expected to have a telephonic conversation with Kalmadi late last night.

Even though PVA corporators are determined to contest the election, Kalmadi told media persons yesterday that he was holding negotiations with the BJP leaders. Kalmadi ruled out any possibility of joining hands with the Congress and said that all the three important posts 8212; mayor, deputy mayor and standing committee chairman 8212; would be bagged by the BJP-Sena and PVA alliance. Kalmadi said negotiations with BJP leaders might continue till the last moment.

Besides Anil Shirole and Arun Dhimdhime, Arvind Shinde of Congress has also filed nomination for the election scheduled for today. No party is in a position to win the election on its own strength, since the 16-member committee has been unevenly divided. Congress is the single largest party with six members, while the PVA, BJP-Sena alliance and RPI have five, four and one member respectively.