Post Games, deep water for Kalmadi, Sheila may survive
The Crises for Suresh Kalmadi is likely to deepen after the conclusion of the Commonwealth Games. The Congress high command has indicated that a thorough investigation into the Kalmadi affairs will be initiated after the Games.
Even though the Congress high command is not too pleased with the Delhi chief minister, Ms Sheila Dikishit over the CWG controversies, lack of alternative might just save her from being replaced after the Games, a senior Congress leader said. The chief minister’s dissident camp is already talking about the possibility of minister of state for home, Ajay Maken replacing her once the Games are over.
Ms Dikshit on Saturday met the Congress president Sonia Gandhi to brief her about Delhi’s preparations for the Commonwealth Games. She gave a detailed report of the city government’s preparations for the Games. The chief minister has been under attack from various quarters for the delay in completion of key projects worth over Rs 10,000 crores. Various key Games projects, including the Barapullah Nallah elevated road, UP Link road and projects related to street — scapping works, have missed several deadlines and now questions are being raised whether they will be completed before the final deadline of August 31, set by the Delhi CM.
The Delhi CM on Saturday once again claimed that the Barapullah Nallah elevated road and renovation of Yamuna SportsComplex, apart from street-scalping around the Games venues are unlikely to finish by August-end. Meanwhile, sidelined and facing the worst ever crisis in his political career, Mr Kalmadi, is reportedly knocking on the doors of a section of senior Congressmen to persuade the party to rally behind him. “He is been meeting us. Claiming that he is clean. But he has been told that party will not interfere in this issue,” the senior Congress functionary said.
Sources disclosed that following a series of controversies and scams, the Congress high command and the government have decided to order a thorough probe on Mr Kalmadi affairs after the Games, since the “party feels taking stern measures against him before the conclusion of CWG would not be in the best interest.”
With six weeks to go, the Congress high command is not in favour of displacing him from his post at the Organisation Committee.
It is being felt that Kalmadi and his operations “have done considerable damage to the party’s image.”
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