According to political observers at the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), a split in PVA, floated by the former Union minister Suresh Kalmadi four months ago, seems inevitable.

Interestingly, the local Congress seniors who were opposed to the re-entry of PVA corporators in Congress have toned down their stand. Reliable sources told this paper that senior Congress leader Sharad Pawar had directed the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress officials to issue passes to the PVA men for attending the convention which began at Nashik today.

It may be noted here that 11 PVA corporators including Ajit Apte, Ramdas Pawar, Shailaja Khedekar, John Paul, Mukari Algude, Sheela Raut, Damu Kumbre, Suman Mathwad, Chandrakant Kate, Shashikala Kumbhar and Batul Kazi had called on Pawar on April 26.

They had expressed their willingness to return to the party fold. Pawar had remained non-committal over allowing them a re-entry in Congress though he suggested them to cooperate with the Congress party at the PMC.

Scarcely a week before this meeting, MPCC general secretary Gurunath Kulkarni had announced that the Congress would allow the PVA men to rejoin the party, provided they came in a group. Ever since then Khedekar had taken a lead in mobilising the like-minded PVA corporators. The PVA and the Congress had joined hands during the divisional ward committee chairmanship elections.

The meeting of PVA members with Pawar had evoked sharp reactions from Congress workers as well as the PVA leadership. The local Congressmen had called on veteran Congress leader Vitthalrao Gadgil and city unit chief Mohan Joshi expressing strong opposition to the move.

Currently, the local Congress unit seems to be divided over the issue. While a section of party workers is strongly opposed to the move, a group of Congress corporators at the PMC feels that this would help the party to strengthen its position at the PMC once again.

The Congress, which was the ruling party at the PMC till Kalmadi walked away with 50 corporators, has been reduced to minority with just 29 corporators in the house of 129. For the first time in the recent history of the PMC the Congress was not able to win any key civic post including Mayor, deputy mayor, standing committee chairman and even the leader of the opposition this year.

Hence, the party corporators are not averse to allowing PVA men an entry in Congress, though party workers differ over the issue.

Meanwhile, the PVA leadership has issued show-cause notices to the 11 corporators seeking explanation as to why they held a meeting with Pawar, a PVA corporator who was possessing the notice told this reporter. PVA party leader at PMC Chandrakant Chhajed, however, refused to have issued the notice.