Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar expressed his shock on Thursday over his wife Sunetra Pawar's defeat to his cousin Supriya Sule in Baramati. He also took responsibility for his faction's poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls.
Ajit Pawar's NCP managed to win just one seat (Raigad), losing the prestigious Baramati seat where Supriya Sule, from the Sharad Pawar faction, retained her position by defeating Sunetra Pawar.
In a press conference following a party MLAs' meeting, Pawar addressed speculation about potential defections to the Sharad Pawar-led faction, confirming that all party MLAs were present and loyal.
"We did not achieve the expected results. We are not satisfied with the results in Maharashtra. I accept responsibility for the outcome. I must accept the public's decision. All our MLAs are with us," he stated.
Regarding the Baramati defeat, where Supriya Sule won by over one lakh votes, Ajit Pawar said, "I am very shocked by the result in Baramati. I don't understand it. How did the people not support me? This was unexpected, especially in Baramati."
When questioned about potentially rejoining Sharad Pawar's faction, Ajit Pawar responded by accepting responsibility for the electoral setback and emphasized that family matters should not be discussed publicly.
Ajit Pawar also mentioned plans for a detailed review of the party's poll performance. He attributed the poor results to several factors, including the loss of Muslim support, allegations from the Opposition about constitutional changes that alienated Dalits and backward classes, and the Maratha quota protest.
"Muslims distanced themselves from us, and we failed to counter the narrative about constitutional changes. Excluding Sambhajinagar, our alliance, Mahayuti, did not secure a single seat in Marathwada. We will have to make strong decisions going forward," he said.
