Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Oct 31: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sunetra Pawar on Friday dismissed reports of internal differences within the party, asserting that there was no rift among its leaders and that electoral defeats should prompt introspection.

“There was no rift among us, and whenever there is an election, victory and defeat happen. If there is a defeat, there is a need for self-introspection. We will definitely do self-introspection,” she said.

Her remarks came days after the Ajit Pawar-led NCP suffered a setback in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections. The party's candidate, three-time sitting MLC Satish Chavan, lost the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduates' constituency to Pratapsinh Patil of the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).

Following his victory on Thursday, NCP (SP) leader Pratapsinh Patil claimed that a “100 per cent wave of change” was sweeping Maharashtra. He said educated voters had delivered a strong message that the electorate could no longer be taken for granted.

The results saw the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) win three of the five seats, while the ruling Mahayuti alliance secured two. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP failed to win the constituency it contested, raising questions over its electoral performance.

The five constituencies that went to polls were Pune Graduates, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduates, Nagpur Graduates, Pune Teachers and Amravati Teachers.

The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) made gains in the graduates' constituencies, while the BJP and Shiv Sena secured victories in the teachers' constituencies. The results also saw the defeat of a sitting Congress MLC in a teachers' constituency, while an opposition alliance partner retained a graduates' seat.

Sunetra Pawar's remarks come amid scrutiny of the NCP's performance, with her assurance that the party would review the reasons behind its defeat.