<p>Amid TV news reports that BJP’s Pankaja Munde has met Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, the Maharashtra Congress said that she would be welcomed if she joins. </p>.<p>“She is welcome… if she wants to come she would be welcomed,” state Congress president Nana Patole said on being asked about the developments. </p>.<p>However, there is no immediate reaction either from Pankaja or BJP. </p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/if-you-want-to-inquire-into-bmc-corruption-probe-pm-cares-fund-also-uddhav-1234619.html" target="_blank">If you want to inquire into BMC 'corruption', probe PM CARES Fund also: Uddhav</a></strong></p>.<p>Patole was speaking to reporters at the core committee of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee met in Mumbai in the wake of the political developments.</p>.<p>Pankaja is the daughter of late Gopinath Munde, a former Deputy Chief Minister and niece of late BJP stalwart Pramod Mahajan. </p>.<p>Pankaja was the rural development minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP-Shiv Sena government between 2014-19, however, in 2019, she lost the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly polls from the family seat of Parli against her own cousin Dhananjay Munde of NCP and remains sidelined in the state politics.</p>.<p>She was neither accommodated in the Maharashtra Legislative Council nor Rajya Sabha by the BJP.</p>.<p>Pankaja’s sister Dr Pritam Munde is the BJP MP from Beed. </p>.<p>She was also not offered a ministerial berth when the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena-BJP government came to power in June 2022.</p>.<p>Earlier, Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat made an open offer to Pankaja to join the Congress. </p>
<p>Amid TV news reports that BJP’s Pankaja Munde has met Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, the Maharashtra Congress said that she would be welcomed if she joins. </p>.<p>“She is welcome… if she wants to come she would be welcomed,” state Congress president Nana Patole said on being asked about the developments. </p>.<p>However, there is no immediate reaction either from Pankaja or BJP. </p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/if-you-want-to-inquire-into-bmc-corruption-probe-pm-cares-fund-also-uddhav-1234619.html" target="_blank">If you want to inquire into BMC 'corruption', probe PM CARES Fund also: Uddhav</a></strong></p>.<p>Patole was speaking to reporters at the core committee of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee met in Mumbai in the wake of the political developments.</p>.<p>Pankaja is the daughter of late Gopinath Munde, a former Deputy Chief Minister and niece of late BJP stalwart Pramod Mahajan. </p>.<p>Pankaja was the rural development minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP-Shiv Sena government between 2014-19, however, in 2019, she lost the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly polls from the family seat of Parli against her own cousin Dhananjay Munde of NCP and remains sidelined in the state politics.</p>.<p>She was neither accommodated in the Maharashtra Legislative Council nor Rajya Sabha by the BJP.</p>.<p>Pankaja’s sister Dr Pritam Munde is the BJP MP from Beed. </p>.<p>She was also not offered a ministerial berth when the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena-BJP government came to power in June 2022.</p>.<p>Earlier, Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat made an open offer to Pankaja to join the Congress. </p>
