India, July 16 -- About two decades back, when Sharad Pawar was in the process of floating the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) after he was expelled from the Congress, he was in touch with several Congress leaders and invited them to join his party. One of them was Congress' member of Legislative Assembly from Sangamner in Ahmednagar district, Balasahab Thorat. Pawar knew both Balasaheb and his father Bhausaheb - a respected name in the cooperative sector - well. It was a time when many in Maharashtra politics believed Pawar would completely take over Congress' space. Balashaeb was contemplating Pawar's offer but was prevented by his father from joining the Maratha strongman. Bhausaheb advised him to never leave the Congress because they were committed to its ideology. Twenty years later, Thorat must be happy that he listened to his father's advice. He is now leading the Congress in Maharashtra....