Nagpur | October 02, 2005 5:46:26 PM IST


Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil today launched the
Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) membership drive in Vidarbha region
after garlanding the statue of Mahatma Gandhi here and visiting the
Sewagram Ashram and Baput Kuti in Wardha.
Mr Patil, who arrived here today, proceeded to Sewagram Ashram and
launched the party's membership drive in Wardha district. He returned
to Nagpur this afternoon and garlanded Mahatma Gandhi's statue before
launching the membership drive.

Addressing the gathering, Mr Patil said NCP, floated six years back,
has been able to reach to the poor people who have given their mandate
to the party which emerged as the largest party in Maharashtra in the
last Assembly elections under the able leadership of Mr Sharad Pawar.