According to available information, Gaddamwar met Sharad Pawar twice and had a long session with former chief minister Sudhakarrao Naik last month. Then, he had reportedly expressed his willingness to join the new party.

The former Maharashtra minister is very much upset over the importance given by the party leadership to Naresh Pugalia, his arch rival in the district. It was alleged that he lost state elections twice from Mul Assembly constituency at the hands of Shobhatai Phadnavis of BJP as Pugalia helped her defeat him.

On the other hand, Naik rehabilitated him by appointing him as the chairman of the Special Action Plan Implementation Committee to monitor the developmental works in the Naxal-infested areas of Chandrapur, Gadchiroli and Bhandara districts. Both the leaders are on good terms and Gaddamwar considers Naik hispolitical mentor.

Gaddamwar was not seen at any of the Congress party functions in the district after the split in the party. During the period his bete noire, Pugalia, has taken over the full control of the district Congress committee and reportedly humiliating supporters of Gaddamwar.

Continued absence in official party functions, particularly in the wake of split in the Congress, has given sufficient indication that he might not remain in the organisation in the near future.

Talking to The Indian Express, a senior party functionary and a close associate of Gaddamwar said that the former minister has made up his mind to join the NCP. ``The way he and his supporters are being humiliated in the organisation and the party leadership is pampering Pugalia, who revolted against the organisation twice in past, there is no alternative but to leave the party,'' he said and informed that Gaddamwar was only waiting for an appropriate moment to join Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

IfGaddamwar joins the NCP the party would get a major boost in Chandrapur district as barring Shobhatai Potdukhe, not a single prominent Congress leaders of the district joined the Pawar Congress. Besides, the former minister who served as president of Chandrapur Zilla Parishad for years, has a considerable clout in co-operative sector and rural areas. Gaddamwar was however, not available for comments.

Meanwhile, independent legislator Sunil Kedar, who initially supported Pawar, has become hostile after a couple of meetings with senior Congress leader Kamal Nath. It was believed that Kedar would join the NCP, along with another legislator, Ramesh Bang. However, the move fizzled out after the meetings with Kamal Nath. The former Union Minister, who has a good rapport with Kedar, succeeded in dissuading him from joining Pawar and assured him that he would ensure the entry of the Kedar faction in the Congress before the elections.

Kedar had helped Kamal Nath win the last Lok Sabha elections from Chhindwara,bordering his assembly constituency, Saoner in Maharashtra.