NCP MLC Amol Mitkari Blames Internal Sabotage, Non-Cooperation From Allies For Party's Rout In Baramati, Shirur

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) spokesperson Amol Mitkari on Wednesday blamed internal sabotage as well as non-cooperation from ruling Mahayuti allies for the Ajit Pawar-led outfit's defeat in Baramati and Shirur Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.

Mitkari, who is an MLC, told PTI that most of the assembly segments falling under the Shirur Lok Sabha constituency have NCP MLAs, but they did not work for the party's candidate, leading to his defeat.

The Shirur seat in Pune district was won by NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) candidate Amol Kolhe who defeated NCP nominee Shivajirao Adhalrao-Patil.

In Baramati, also in Pune district, the NCP was expecting to sail through but cadres of Mahayuti allies BJP and the Shiv Sena did not work for the victory of the party's candidate, Mitkari alleged.

"Whatever votes we got (in Baramati) was due to Ajit Pawar's individual efforts," he claimed.

In Baramati, sitting NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule defeated NCP nominee Sunetra Pawar, the wife of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.

Mitkari said the Raigad Lok Sabha seat was retained by the NCP because all allies worked wholeheartedly to ensure the party nominee's win.

Meanwhile, when asked about his party spokesperson's claims, state NCP president Sunil Tatkare, who won from Raigad, sought to downplay his assertions and maintained all was well in the Mahayuti alliance.

"These may be his personal views. I will speak to him," Tatkare averred.