3 years on, foes kiss and make up

Political compulsions have made friends out of long-standing foes, Ajit Pawar and Suresh Kalmadi, reports Yogesh Joshi.

Political compulsions have made friends out of long-standing foes, Ajit Pawar and Suresh Kalmadi.

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Pawar and his wife Sunetra visited Kalmadi’s house for lunch on Friday. Pawar, the guardian minister for Pune district, and Kalmadi, a Congress Member of Parliament, were bitter rivals for three years.

However, when they realised that their rivalry could cost each other’s candidates dear in the Assembly polls, both decided to sort out their differences. “We have now decided that we will now work together, from the heart,” Kalmadi said.

“We will also work together and join hands at the civic body level,” said Pawar.

Kalmadi has been upset with Pawar over his interference in Pune city’s politics, something Kalmadi considers his turf. The rift widened during the Lok Sabha polls when Pawar and his supporters did not campaign for Kalmadi. Kalmadi won with a thin margin of 25,000 votes. With rebels eager to spoil the chances of Congress and NCP candidates, both Kalmadi and Pawar decided to patch up.