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Gaikwad new Dy Mayor, Kalmadi emerges to prove a point

Wednesday, 11 September 2013 05:32 administrator
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The Hindu              11.09.2013

Gaikwad new Dy Mayor, Kalmadi emerges to prove a point

Congress corporator Bandu Gaikwad on Tuesday won the election for the post of Pune deputy mayor after defeating BJP candidate Madhuri Sahastrabudhe. Springing a surprise on the occasion was city MP Suresh Kalmadi who walked into the civic corridors to congratulate his supporter Gaikwad, indicating he was active in city politics again.

The election for deputy mayor was necessitated after Deepak Mankar resigned from the post as per the party arrangement to give a chance to another corporator.

Gaikwad bagged 83 votes with the support from NCP while Sahastrabudhe managed just 41 votes including those of Shiv Sena corporators. The MNS abstained from voting.

Now, the top two posts of PMC are held by Chanchala Kodre and Gaikwad, who are corporators from the same electoral panel.

Meanwhile, Kalmadi's visit to PMC's general body hall to wish Gaikwad raised many eyebrows. As his supporters and sitting Congress corporators raised slogans in his favour, to counter Kalmadi suppoters, the NCP corporators shouted slogans praising Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

"I have started preparations for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections and will keep a track of civic work in the city," he said.

On his role in replacing Gaikwad with Mankar, Kalmadi said, "I have big hands." The Shiv Sena and the BJP criticised the Congress and the NCP for appointing the mayor and deputy mayor from the same electoral panel, saying this will lead to focus in one area only.