E-Paper
No place for overconfidence in politics, says NCP chief
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday analyzing his party’s debacle in the Lok Sabha polls pulled up his party cadre saying there was no place for ‘overconfidence and pride’ in politics.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday analyzing his party’s debacle in the Lok Sabha polls pulled up his party cadre saying there was no place for ‘overconfidence and pride’ in politics.
Giving example of RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav, the Maratha strongman said that despite work done by him, Yadav fell from 24 to just 4 seats due to overconfidence.
In the first meeting with the party workers after the polls, Pawar analysed the recent election results, its ‘unpredictability’ for his party leaders.
The meeting was attended by all MPs, MLAs and district chiefs — most of whom were dejected following party’s poor show in the elections. Out of 22 seats it contested, the NCP won only 8, one less than the number of seats it held in previous Lok sabha elections.
Pawar’s message was loud and clear: Learn from mistakes and gear up for the upcoming Assembly polls.
The NCP chief admitted that he made mistakes (political calculations) in three or four places this year. NCP lost four seats in its bastion of Western Maharashtra in the polls.
“The sugar co-operatives, banks, milk co-operatives are with us but people have lost faith in co-operatives because we have lost touch with the last man on the rung,” said Pawar.
This was hinted at the party’s regional satraps, who failed to swing the elections in the party favour and were criticized for being too arrogant or parochial.
“The Lok Sabha election results have shown us that the voters make leaders realise their folly if they have strayed from the track,” he said.
