At a public rally to be held in Ambajogai on Friday, Mundada will share the platform with Congress heavyweight Sharad Pawar. Pawar's acceptance of Mumdada's invitation to address the rally itself suggests that the fireband young leader has indeed made her presence felt, and probably made securing a Congress ticket in the ensuing Assembly polls easier.

Mundada first attracted public attention while she was still a medical student. And like many present day leaders of the region she is a product of the Marathwada student agitation that stirred the region in 1974-75.

For the last three years, Mundada, who was one time a close aide of Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde, has repeatedly gone public over their soured relations. Mundada with tears in her eyes had also pleaded to the Assembly Speaker to provide herprotection from Munde's goons.

Besides, senior BJP leader, Pramod Mahajan, who hails from Ambejogai, had quite often threatend to take disciplinary action against her for anti-party activities. However, nothing ever happened.

That was probably because Mundada comes from the schedule caste community (she had an inter-caste marriage with Dr Nandu Mundada) besides, her one-to-one contact with voters in the Assembly is unmatched.

In fact, on all the three occasions that she contested from Kaij (a reserved constituency) she didn't really face a major opponent. According to political observers here, bringing her into the Congress-fold could be a wise decision for the Congress.

But more than the personal advantages that Mundada stands to gain, what is more significant, observers say, is the dent Pawar will make into Gopinath Munde's grip in his home town which will certainly give rise to a new political polarisations in the district.