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| A follower returns dejected with flowers after he could not meet the MP |
Playing hide and seek with prying media, supporters of tainted city MP Suresh Kalmadi spent the whole of Sunday trying to meet their leader at Kalmadi House off Karve Road.
It was an embarrassing situation for many, particularly Congress city unit chief Abhay Chhajed, as Kalmadi has been suspended from the party. “Yes, we met him. But I am not going to reveal the details,” he told Pune Mirror. Chhajed said he could manage a five-minute audience with the leader, who had a steady stream of visitors throughout the day.
Kalmadi reportedly held a meeting with his trusted lieutenants late on Saturday night after his arrival from New Delhi to a rousing welcome, described by his detractors within the party as an “arranged show of strength”.
Sunday morning saw a beeline of leaders including Shivajinagar MLA Vinayak Nimhan, former Mayor and State Women’s Cell chief Kamal Vyavahare, city Women’s Cell chief Dr Snehal Padale, PMC opposition leader Aba Bagul, corporators Deepak Mankar, Arvind Shinde, and Pimpri-Chinchwad unit chief Bhausaheb Bhoir at Kalmadi House. Many avoided the media by avoiding arriving in groups and preferring to take the back door.
Chhajed, who had kept away from the welcome at the airport, was among the first to visit Kalmadi House. He was accompanied by Dr Padale.
They will be expected to relay the ‘message’ as most nominated candidates for the February 16 civic polls preferred not to turn up in view of the party’s official stand that Kalmadi was no more with the Congress.
Kalmadi loyalist and Parvati MLA Ramesh Bagwe told Pune Mirror, “Yes, Kalmadi conducted a small meeting. But I was not present. I was with him yesterday. He has advised us to win a maximum number of seats and come back to power in the PMC.”
The flow of visitors slackened in the afternoon as they were told ‘bhai’ was resting. Kalmadi left his residence around 5.30 pm in a SUV and was said to be headed to his bungalow at Baner.
He was also likely to participate in an Id-e-Milad get-together in Nana Peth before flying to Delhi in the night.
Before this, Kalmadi issued a statement in Marathi and English, thanking his supporters and citizens for the warm welcome. “Inspite of knowing that I have not come to Pune after winning any event or competition, the citizens of Pune gave me a rousing welcome out of their love and affection,” the statement said.
Kalmadi compared himself with former Chief Minister A R Antulay. “I have full faith in the judiciary and I am sure that I will get justice. The law states that a person is innocent till proved guilty. It reminds me of barrister A R Antulay against whom many allegations were made. After a fair trial he was acquitted.”
