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With Pawar out, Kalmadi gets back in Congress

Suresh Kalmadi, member of the Rajya Sabha and chief of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi, today announced the merger of his party with the Congress.

Speaking to journalists at the All-India Congress Committee headquarters, Kalmadi said his party will formally merge with the Congress at Pune on June 2.

He said rebel Congress leader Sharad Pawar was not getting the response he had expected in Maharashtra after his expulsion from the party and MPs, MLAs and workers are reluctant to work with him now.

Kalmadi said the coming election would show whether the Congress in Maharashtra is with Pawar or Sonia Gandhi.

He said the three rebel leaders -- Pawar, Purno Sangma and Tariq Anwar -- were divided on the issue of teaming up with the Bharatiya Janata Party. He said Sangma was against dealing with the BJP while Pawar had no qualms in the matter.

He predicted that the trio would soon split since one section wants to align with the Samajwadi Party and the other with the BJP.

He said Pawar was the first Congress Working Committee member to suggest that Sonia Gandhi be made prime minister, without raising any question of her foreign birth.

He claimed that Pawar was desperate to become prime minister after an astrologer had told him that had a good chance in 1999, but not later.

Talking about the response Pawar was getting in Maharashtra, Kalmadi said only two of the 33 Congress members of the dissolved Lok Sabha had joined him so far. Of the 36 municipal corporators of Pune, only eight are with Pawar.

Earlier, welcoming Kalmadi, AICC general secretary Madhavrao Scindia said he would be an asset to the Congress and the merger would strengthen the party.

UNI

EARLIER REPORT:
Pawar's departure may signal Kalmadi's return

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