Indian Express: Pune: Sunday,
March 23, 2014.
After forcing
its English-speaking TV face Rahul Narvekar from Mumbai to quit the party, the
Shiv Sena has now dumped its urbane young face in Pune, Sarang Kamtekar, who
articulated the party’s views effectively to the media and at various public
forums. The Sena leadership has cited no reason for his expulsion and various
senior leaders seemed clueless about the move, which has added to the confusion
prevailing in the party in Maval constituency.
A campaign
manager for sitting MP Gajanan Babar, Kamtekar (42) has served as
vice-president of the Sena’s youth wing. Kamtekar in tandem with his wife,
corporator Seema Savle, has in the past 10 years exposed mainly through RTI
applications several acts of omission and commission of the NCP-ruled
Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). The duo had taken the PCMC to
court on several occasions and succeeded in bringing a stay on projects that
were being carried out in violation of norms. Kamtekar had forced the PCMC administration to do a rethink on premium
reduction for constructions along BRTS route that would have resulted in a loss
of Rs 3,750 crore to the civic body. He was also instrumental in highlighting
the “TDR irregularities” in PCMC.
Kamtekar said
he had learnt of his expulsion through party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’. “The party
leadership has given me no reason for it,” he said. Saying he was shocked and
hurt by the decision, Kamtekar said, “ have a been a loyal party workers for 24
years. I have no intention to join any other party,” he said.
No Sena
leader was in a position to pinpoint the reason for the move. Sena spokesperson
Neelam Gorhe said, “I don’t know…you can ask other party leaders such as
Shrirang Barne.” Barne was not available for comment. Sena general secretary
Anil Desai, who reportedly drafts expulsion letters on the directives of Sena
chief Uddhav Thackeray, said, “I am not aware of it as I was out of town for
two-three days.” He said Sena leader Subhash Desai might know the reason. When
contacted, Subash Desai said Neelam Gorhe would be aware of it. Pune district
Sena chief Baba Dhumal, too, evaded a reply.
Kamtekar,
however, hinted that Sena’s Maval candidate Shrirang Barne could be behind the
move. “Those who have come into Sena from other parties and have nothing to do
with Sena ideology are now calling the shots in the Sena,” he said, in an
apparent reference to Barne who had defected from Congress to Sena four years
ago. Some Sena leaders alleged that Kamtekar was instigating party rank and
file to protest Barne’s nomination as Sena candidate from Maval. “As many as 45
party office-bearers have resigned at his behest,” said a Sena leader who did
not wish to be named.
NCP’s Maval
candidate Rahul Narvekar, who quit the Shiv Sena on Monday, said, “There is no
room for young, committed and loyal leaders such as Kamtekar in Sena…That is
why I, too, quit the party.”
Kamtekar, who
is convent educated, is the among the few Sena leaders in Pune who articulated
the party’s views in English.
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