Vilasrao, Kalmadi fire salvos at each other

PUNE: As expected, the inauguration of the Shaniwarwada festival and Janotsav festival, patronised by two Congress factions, provided a platform for the top Congress leaders-- Rajya Sabha member Suresh Kalmadi and former Chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh to fire a salvo against each other.
" Leaders of Latur are taking keen interest in the festivals organised in Pune.These leaders seem to have adopted Pune. As a repayment of their gesture, starting next year, I will start a Latur festival," Kalmadi announced at the inauguration of the Pune Municipal Corporation''s Shaniwarwada festival on Tuesday evening.
On the other hand, Deshmukh congratulated minister of state for public works Balasaheb Shivarkar for starting Janotsav festival, the five day cultural extravaganza which got off to a start on Tuesday evening.
"Shivarkar has given an opportunity to the common Punekar to participate in the Ganesh festival. He has taken care that the Ganesh festival of Pune will not become a monopoly of one person or one group" Deshmukh said.
Though, Kalmadi and Deshmukh did not named each other, it was quite obvious that they were referring to each other.
At the Shaniwarwada festival, Kalmadi took a dig at Shivarkar pointing out that the organisers of the Janotsav could not get a land for holding their festival. " I had shown readiness to help them out in searching the land," he quipped.
In his introductory address at the Janotsav festival, Shivarkar said " I was born in Pune and thanks to my parents I have inherited huge land in Pune. No one should tell us how to get land in Pune,".
Though, state industries minister Patangrao Kadam remained conspicuous by his absence at the inauguration of the Janotsav festival, the presence of several veteran Congress and even opposition leaders, belonging to the Maratha, Mali, dalit and Brahamin community, has send a strong political signal to the Kalmadi lobby.
Highly places sources said that Deshmukh is trying to play the "Bahujan Samaj" (Mali-Maratha and Dalit) card in Pune by promoting the leadership of Shivarkar to check Kalmadi. In fact, in his speech, Deshmukh openly said " Shivarkar is getting support from all quarters in Pune. Shivarkar tum aage badho hum tumhare saath hai".
Some of the prominent local leaders who attended the Janotsav which was presided over by Shrimant Chhatrapati Shahu of Kolhapur, the descendent of late Rajshri Shahu Maharaj, included; Anantrao Thopte, Vitthal Tupe, Anant Gadgil, Vasant Chavan, Tatya Godse, Vandana Chavan, Sharad Ranpise, Girish Bapat, Deepak Paigude, Ulhas Pawar, Sharad Ranpise, Rambhu Moze, P N Patil, Ulhas Dhole Patil, Vijay Kolte, Jagganath Shewale, Ankush Kakde, Bharat Sawant and Sanjay Balgude.