Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar’s visit to Congress Bhavan in Pune on the foundation day of the party raised many eyebrows Wednesday. While Pawar’s visit was seen as a confidence boosting move, the absence of many Congress leaders such as Ramesh Bagwe, Balasaheb Shivarkar and Mohan Joshi indicated that the Grand Old Party is still suffering from factionalism.
Pawar was invited by the city unit of Congress. The NCP chief, who visited the premises last time in 2014, was lost in the memories he had of the premises where he happened to spend most of the time when he started his political career. “We used to listen to several speeches given by senior Congress leaders here (Congress Bhavan). It is a historical place where many important decisions were taken,” Pawar recalled.
He went around the photo exhibition and shared information on the historical importance of the building. Senior Congress leader and former legislator Anant Gadgil said, “He is a very senior politician who had started career in Congress. It was a nice gesture by him to visit Congress Bhavan after so many years.”
Gadgil, former city Congress chief Abhay Chhajed and current chief Arvind Shinde welcomed Pawar at the Congress Bhavan. Pawar was accompanied by NCP MP Srinivas Patil, city NCP chief Prashant Jagtap and several other party leaders.
“His visit changed the atmosphere and sent a good message to the party workers of both Congress and NCP,” said another Congress leader.
The leader added, “The Congress does not have the aura it used to have in the past but Pawar’s visit was kind of a confidence building for the party workers of Congress as he publicly stated that the country can never be a Congress mukt Bharat despite efforts to damage the party.”
The civic body elections are likely to be declared anytime now and even the Assembly election might be held mid-term, so a few Congress leaders feel that Pawar’s visit to the Congress Bhavan will bring party workers of both Congress and NCP together during the forthcoming elections.
The participation of NCP leaders in Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra had already built a cordial relation between the two parties, said a Congress leader and Pawar’s interaction with Congress workers raised hopes of the party workers of both Congress and NCP.
