Congress presidential candidate Sharad Pawar yesterday fired his first salvo against his main rival Sitaram Kesri with his campaign managers accusing the incumbent president of attempting to play a fraud in the elections.
A day after filing his nomination, Pawar claimed at a press conference that most of the CWC members and other leaders, who had proposed Kesris candidature, had contacted him and assured him of their support in the election. Pawar said he would be embarking on a tour of the state capitals beginning May 31, starting from Bangalore and would visit Chennai, Hyderabad, Calcutta, Guwahati, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Patna, Bhubaneshwar, Bhopal and Mumbai.
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister A R Antulay, who was yesterday appointed Pawars campaign spokesman, alleged that Kesri was going to play a big trick and fraud on the Congress constitution by postponing the election of PCC presidents scheduled for June nine to be held along with the AICC presidential election.
Demanding that there should be no change in the schedule for any election at the instance of anyone including Kesri, who is also a candidate, Antulay said he would be writing to the returning officer, Oscar Fernandes, in this connection. Antulay said that he would also be requesting Fernandes to ask the PCCs to make available their offices to the party presidential candidates to meet partymen as also for addressing press conferences.
Pawar, in an appeal to PCC delegates, said he was in the election fray as the need of the hour was to rejuvenate the Congress and once again make it the rallying point of the forces of social justice and progress. Stating that the party was confronted with one of the gravest crisis of 111 years of its existence, Pawar said the Congress had become weak in recent years.
There has been gradual erosion of partys base with the alienation of minorities and dalits. Confidence of the youth is also shaken. In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the Congress is a mere pale shadow of its former self, he said.
In spite of such a situation, he regretted that the party leadership has not shown any will to revive nor any determined effort has been made by the leadership to retrieve lost ground.
As the nation celebrates 50th year of independence, it is sad to see the Congress in an enfeebled state. The rank and file is demoralised. The mood is one of despondency and frustration, he said.
He expressed happiness over Sonia Gandhi formally becoming a member of the family. Pawar said her decision has enthused the rank and file of the party.
Through her courage and dignified conduct, she has won the love and respect of our people, he added.
