Kalmadi man Chajed gets earful from AICC member

Gopal Tiwari recently lashed out at Congress city chief for supporting scam-tainted MP, say insiders

Kalmadi man Chajed gets earful from AICC member

Gopal Tiwari recently lashed out at Congress city chief for supporting scam-tainted MP, say insiders

The city Congress unit has become a divided house following the arrest of MP Suresh Kalmadi with an AICC member taking on the head of the party's local unit for supporting the CWG scam-tainted leader. What has added fuel to the fire is the demand to give preference to party loyalists over those who are loyal to individuals only -- an indirect reference to Kalmadi supporters -- in the upcoming civic polls.

Since the arrest of the disgraced MP, the rift in the city unit of the party has widened further despite desperate efforts by Congress managers to show a united face of the party. Even as Congress state president Manikrao Thakre, who was on his way to Satara to attend a function with CM Prithviraj Chavan on Saturday, tried to pacify anti-Kalmadi factions demanding preference to 'party loyalists' in the civic polls, AICC member Gopal Tiwari came down heavily on city Congress presidentu00a0 Abhay Chajed for supporting Kalmadi.

According to sources, corporators and a few important leaders of the city unit held a meeting with Thakre at a hotel in Baner on Saturday. Former MLA Balasaheb Shivarkar, a known adversary of Kalmadi, raised the issue of giving preference to 'loyalists'. This angered the Kalmadi supporters who questioned Shivarkar's definition of party loyalists.

Thakre tried to pacify the Shivarkar group by asking them not to rake up old issues but MLC Ulhas Pawar meddled into and defended party workers' reaction. Finally party's state affairs in-charge Mohan Prakash intervened and appealed to both the groups to stop fighting, said sources.

"We've objected to Chajed's loyalty to a person instead of the party. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has made it clear that the party will not support a corrupt person and will taken action against Kalmadi. Despite this Chajed openly supports Kalmadi," Tiwari said. Chajed refused to comment on the issue.

Sweets turn sour for Kalmadi rival
Kalmadi had in April sent a box of sweets to his arch rival and former MLA Balasaheb Shivarkar -- considered close to former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh -- at the Congress Bhavan. Shivarkar accepted the sweets, but drew much flak from his acolytes for doing so.