Kailash Kadam. (Expres/Sourced) During the 2017 municipal polls, the Congress in Pimpri Chinchwad drew a blank with none of its candidates making it to the House. The Grand Old Party, which once ruled the industrial hub, thus found itself in the dumps with leader after leader leaving its fold. The appointment of former leader of opposition Kailash Kadam as the Congress’s unit chief might have further exacerbated internal strife in the faction-ridden party. Given the situation, indianexpress.com asked Kadam about his plans for the forthcoming Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections and the state of the party in the city.
How do you see the Congress faring in the upcoming municipal polls, given that several leaders have switched camps? Moreover, the party seems to be ridden by factions.
From the birth of Pimpri Chinchwad to its transformation into an industrial hub, the Congress played the most-important role. Congress leaders took initiatives that led to the construction of the Pavana Dam, as well as the setting up of the Hinjewadi IT park. This is the city of industrial labourers and it was during the time of the Congress that labour laws were formulated to protect their rights. I am reminding the voters about the contribution of the Congress. We are getting a good response from the citizens.
I agree that many leaders who had benefited from the party have left the camp for their own selfish interests. The people will show them their place.
The Congress is a democratic party and it is bound to have differing views that we air in public. As far as factions are concerned, I do not believe in them and the party is united. Since I have taken over the party unit, we have hit the streets highlighting issues like inflation and steep rise in gas prices, among others. Our rally against inflation was a grand success. We are highlighting the way the BJP has emptied the coffers of the corporation.
You talk about labourers, but Pimpri Chinchwad is now more of an IT city. How do you plan to win over IT professionals?
We have reached out to those people through the Professionals’ Congress. We have to remind them of the history of the industry and how the Congress-led governments started the IT revolution in the country. I recently interacted with IT employees during a blood-donation drive. I am sure they will give their support to the party and vote for us.
What are the main issues for the Congress in the upcoming election and how ready is the party for the polls?
Our main fight is against the anti-people policies of the Union government and the rampant corruption in the local body. The incident of the standing committee chairman being caught red-handed while accepting a bribe has put all of us to shame. In the last five years, the only work the BJP has done is to loot the coffers of the corporation.
We will also fight the polls on the plank of development.
Would you fight the elections as part of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) or go it alone?
As disciplined members of the Congress, we always abide by the decision of the party high command. But we are ready for any eventuality. Perhaps we are the only party whose manifesto is ready and our work for finalizing candidates is in its last stage.
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