Kalmadi, once the blue eyed boy of Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar, has been working in this direction and has discussed the matter with former State Janata Dal president Sambhajirao Kakade in Mumbai recently, it was learnt by reliable sources.

Former mayor and newly-elected party leader of Congress in the Solapur Municipal Corporation (SMC), Advocate U N Beria who is known for loyalty to Sushilkumar and his fiery speech, told The Indian Express here, recently, that it is likely that Kakade might be fielded against Sharad Pawar in Baramati.

The breakaway Janata Dal leaders have some weight in the district politics and include Prabhakar Vankudre, former deputy mayor Sangappa Kegnalkar, socialist Chanappa Savalgi, Baburao Malimkar and former MLA Bhimrao Rane. Thus, if Kakade joins hands with the Congress and Kalmadi, then the Janata Dal district and the city unit leaders may follow him.

After resuming the party leader's post, Beria revealed that the few corporators who had gone to NCP would return and JD and CPM corporators have agreed to support the Congress at the SMC.``If this goes on smoothly, then the new deputy mayor will be of the Congress party,'' Beria said. The deputy mayor's post has been lying vacant since Suman Mudliyar resigning after announcing her loyalty to the NCP supremo.