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Black sheep Kalmadi turns shepherd to 47 corporators

After being called a black sheep, former Union minister of state for railways Suresh Kalmadi has donned the mantle of a shepherd. To 47 of the 67 Pune Municipal corporators, whom he has whizzed away to form the Pune Vikas Aghadi Party.

Naturally, the Congress finds itself with no foot to stand in Pune.

The newfound party is Kalmadi's dramatic reply to his erstwhile political mentor Sharad Pawar who, on Monday, had threatened to oust his supporters from the Congress.

The former Congress MP declared the PVAP would release its vikasnama (development manifesto) on January 18 during the party's first public meeting at the historic Shaniwar Wada (the political abode of the peshwas who ruled Pune before the advent of the British).

Kalmadi refused to comment on the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance, Lok Sabha election or about his own candidature from Pune. However, in a typical rhetoric, he claimed his party would 'strive for the development of Pune and raise its voice in Delhi'.

The Pune divisional commissioner has been appraised of the split and the claim that the PVAP has the requisite majority in the corporation.

Chandrakant Chhajed has been appointed as leader of the PVAP in the PMC. Other office-bearers will be appointed shortly.

Chhajed claimed his party has 59 corporators -- besides the first 47 members, 12 independents have pledged their support. "This is more than the one-third required by the anti-defection low for recognising a party," he said.

Deputy Mayor Hirmen Shinde is among the ex-Congressmen who has joined Kalmadi's flock.

Compiled from the Marathi media by Prasanna D Zore

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