Alibaug, April 18: Once fired, missiles cannot be
called back. And the 'Hemant Karkare killing-conspiracy'
missile fired by Union Minority Affairs Minister Abdul Rehman
Antulay now threatens to hit him in the Lok Sabha polls.
Antulay's verdict on how Mumbai cop Hemant Karkare died
may cost his Lok Sabha re-entry bid dearly, with his Shiv Sena
rival planning to tear him down on that front.
In fact, Antulay is a reluctant candidate and had sought
to make age an excuse for not contesting the election. In
fact, he was keen to stand down after opposition to his
candidature from locals and the district unit of the
Congress party.
Even Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and state
Congress president Manikrao Thakre had opined that Antulay was
not keen on entering the fray.
Whether or not he wanted to contest, the 80-year-old is
now in the fight and might as well be in it to win, say some
partymen.
Antulay, who felt Karkare was killed to put the probe
into the alleged involvement of Hindu radicals in the Malegaon
blasts case under wraps, is now banking on support from
Maharashtra Energy Minister Sunil Tatkare, an NCP leader.
The Union Minster had later said that there was no need
for a probe into his conspiracy theory angle. Karkare by
terrorists during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai.
"This will be Antulay's waterloo," says Sena candidate
and former union minister Anant Gite.
The Sena has so far refrained from raking up Antulay's
conspiracy theory, but is set to do so when the campaign
reaches its crescendo. The Raigad Parliamentary seat will go
to polls on April 23 and campaign will end on the evening of
April 21.
In 2004, Antulay represented the Kulaba Lok Sabha seat,
but post-delimitation, Kulaba and Rajapur seats and some parts
of Ratangiri seats have been merged into Raigad constituency.
What makes Antulay's chances difficult is not just his
remarks on the 26/11 killings, but also the coming together of
the Sena and the Peasants and Workers Party, although its
ideologically opposed to the Sena.
In the last elections, the two parties had contested
separately and had polled over 4.5 lakh votes. They are,
however, allies for the purpose of polls to local bodies.
Pen and Panvel areas are a stronghold of PWP and senior
Sena leader Manohar Joshi has a good support base in Mahad and
Dapoli areas falling under the constituency. Although Joshi
was keen to contest from Raigad, Gite was given preference as
he commands the support of the 'Kunbi' community.
Antulay also has to fend off farmers' ire over
acquisition of land at "throwaway" price for the Maha Mumbai
SEZ.
"An acre of land which costs crores in Raigad was being
taken over for a few lakh rupees. We protested and tried to
prevent the government from doing so. This has earned us the
goodwill of farmers and it will reflect through the ballot,"
Baban Patil, Sena's Raigad district chief said.
Bureau Report