Cong woos Pimpri NCP chief

The Congress on Tuesday said the party was ready to welcome Azam Pansare into its fold. Pansare quit from the post of Pimpri-Chinchwad Nationalist Congress Party president on February 25,minutes after corporator Suman Pawale’s name was finalised by guardian minister Ajit Pawar for the post of standing committee chairman.

Congress leader Babu Nair said party’s Pimpri-Chinchwad chief Bhausaheb Bhoir has already extended an invitation to Pansare to join the party. “We strongly believe that Pansare would not join any other party because NCP and Congress believe in social agenda rather than the communal one of certain parties. If a leader like Pansare joins the Congress,it will be a major boost to the party,” he said.

Congress leaders said the party desperately needed a crowd puller and Pansare fits the bill. After Shrirang Barne walked out of the party and joined Shiv Sena,the Congress has not been able to keep the party in the public limelight,a Congress leader said. Pansare has a strong following in Chinchwad,Akurdi,Pradhikaran,Yamunanagar and Sambhajinagar areas.

However,NCP leaders said Pansare would not commit the mistake of joining the Congress which is a shadow of its past. Mayor Yogesh Behl said efforts are on to pacify Pansare.