Some 20 Congress corporators from the city called on Pawar at Baramati Hostel. The lone party MLA in the city, Rambhau Moze, was also spotted in the crowd. Some 30 corporators from neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad also met Pawar today.

Prominent among the city corporators who went to Baramati Hostel were Ankush Kakde, Shantilal Suratwala, Nitin Jagtap, Nilesh Nikam, Arvind Shinde, Ajit Darekar, Mukari Algude, Rajlaxmi Bhosale, Damodar Kumbare, Shobha Barne, Satish Londhe, Kamal Dhole-Patil, Vijay Mohite, John Paul, Alka Patil and Dilip Tupe.

Local Congress leaders were shocked when they learnt that half the party corporators had met Pawar. They sought to underplay the development, claiming it was not wrong to see Pawar since he was still in the party.

A group of 30 Congress corporators from neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad, led by mayor Madhukar Pawle, also met Pawar. Party leaders said the entire unit of Pimpri-Chinchwad would support Pawar come what may. A number of MLAs from Pune district have also met Pawar to extend support.

Pawar will be in the city for another two days and hectic political lobbying is expected to take place. He will also deliver a lecture on the present political scenario at Vasant Vyakhyanmala on Thursday.

On Wednesday, a 1000 strong crowd greeted Pawar when he arrived from Baramati. The crowd chanted slogans, egging him on. Sources in the Pawar camp said that Pawar tried to explain his position on the issue of the foreign origin of Sonia Gandhi.

The sources quoted Pawar as saying he had not committed any mistake by raising the issue at the CWC since it was the apex body of the party. He cautioned them against any rash decision and asked them to work within the party framework till the CWC makes its decision known.

On his part, Pawar seemed relaxed. But there was palpable tension and uneasiness among his followers. And this was evident from the atmosphere at the Baramati Hostel today. They seemed a little subdued. The normal excitement and enthusiasm that prevails whenever he is in town was just not there.

A Pawar supporter admitted that several party workers were yet to recover from the shock received because of Pawar's unexpected stand on the issue of Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin.