PUNE, Dec 28: Having left the Congress behind him, former Union Minister Suresh Kalmadi seems to be facing a serious political dilemma and has very little time to choose his course of action. While it was given to believe until recently that the BJP would support him even as an independent, the party's seat sharing agreement with Shiv Sena, announced in Mumbai on Saturday, has tilted the balance.Party spokesman Prakash Jawadekar was quite categorical in saying that only an official candidate of the party would contest. According to the well placed BJP sources here too, the party leadership is insistent that Kalmadi join the BJP and contest on its lotus symbol, else they would field their own candidate. However, there is still a section of BJP leaders led by party's general secretary Pramod Mahajan, advocating a softer stand.
They maintain that party should respond positively to Kalmadi as he was among the few Congress MPs who openly supported the BJP after Congress withdrew its support to the Gujral
government. As against this, BJP hard-liners, led by party president L K Advani, are of the view that party should not entertain Kalmadi's request. They feel that several Congress leaders, who are expected to join BJP in future, would make similar demands.
The sources said the hard-liners were even prepared to field their own candidate as they see a bright prospect in case of a triangular contest in Pune.
Kalmadi supporters in the city admit that contesting the election independently would be risky in the absence of any assured vote bank. They also point out that local BJP workers were unlikely to work for Kalmadi if he decided to contest the election independently while traditional BJP voters, were not likely to vote in his favour. Sources close to Kalmadi maintain that it would be a tough fight for Kalamdi against the `united Congress' which still has a strong support base in the city.
The Kalmadi camp is also worried over the unexpectedly strong reaction from former Chief Minister Sharad Pawar, who
has publicly denounced Kalmadi's defection and had asked his supporters in the city to remain with the party.
The Kalmadi camp fear that a `hurt' Pawar might take personal interest in Pune to ensure defeat of his one time close associate. They feel that Pawar, who has considerable clout in the city, could create several problems for Kalmadi.
Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
