Cong, NCP fight over Dalit votes

A pitched battle broke out between the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) activists over Dalit and minority votes during the last leg of campaigning for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections.

The campaign for the Thursday polls for 10 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including BMC, ended on Tuesday evening.

The battle between the Congress and NCP over Dalit and minority votes reached the crescendo with deputy chief minister R R Patil and Mumbai Congress chief and MP Gurdas Kamat throwing challenges and counter challenges. However, round one was won by Kamat as Patil was forced to eat his word.

It all started with Kamat demanding Patil?s resignation on Monday over the `delay' in handing over the case of Khairlangi Dalit killings to CBI. Kamat also alleged that minorities were being harassed in the name of bomb blast investigations and it was the Congress which saved them from oppressive police machinery led by Patil.

Countering the charges, Patil said Kamat was making baseless allegations because of the Congress' hold over Dalit and minority votes was getting eroded as they were turning to NCP. He also went on to allege that Kamat was angry as he refused to oblige his request for a personal favour.

Patil's remarks were immediately challenged by Kamat, who asked Patil to disclose what personal favour he sought and be ready to face legal action if Patil failed to provide any satisfactory evidence to support his allegations.

In response, NCP organised a press conference on Tuesday and the media was given the impression that Patil was going to expose Kamat.

However, Patil's press conference proved to be a damp squib as he refused to divulge any details regarding personal favours sought by Kamat.

He kept on saying, "I will not stoop to the low levels which Kamat has as I am a person who believes in maintaining dignity in public life."

Despite repeated questions from the media, Patil said, "Many skeletons will tumble out of the cupboard as time progresses and he doesn't have to reveal them".

Putting up a brave front, Patil said, "Kamat has no business to ask for his resignation as he was elected as leader of the legislator party by his party MLAs and not by the Congress.

"If he is serious about my resignation, then he should ask the chief minister to resign. That will ensure resignation of the entire cabinet, including me."