PUNE, NOV 14: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Sunday remarked that the Congress's poor performance in the recently concluded elections had proved that the people had rejected the party under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi.Addressing the concluding session of NCP's State level meeting, Pawar said the Congress failed to maintain its position because the party leadership had no love and affection for the people. The NCP president said the Congress, even under Sitaram Kesari, had secured 140 seats while under Sonia Gandhi could win only 112 seats.Pawar said that a few Congress leaders wanted Sonia Gandhi as president so that they could control the party. He said the Congress suffered humiliating defeat in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where it had won the Assembly elections a year back, because Sonia Gandhi was projected as the future Prime Minister. He said the Congress leaders were not ready to consider voters sentiments even though party leaders were highly disturbed.Pawar said the NCP would have to demonstrate that their party was different than that of Congress by maintaining its separate identity. He said the party would change its flag, which was similar to that of the Congress. He said several political leaders, including a few Congressmen, were eager to join the NCP.The State-level meeting decided on former minister of state Babanrao Pachpute as the head of NCP's Maharashtra unit. Pachpute's name was proposed by Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal and was seconded by Madhukar Pichhad and Javed Khan. Pachpute, four time MLA, was Minister of State for Home in Sudhakar Naik ministry. He, however, lost the election from Shrigonda constituency in Ahmednagar district. Pachpute was appointed since Bhujbal has offered to step down from the post after his election as Deputy Chief Minister.Pawar said the NCP joined hands with Congress in Maharashtra to honour the mandate and added that his party would take all the sincere steps to complete the term.
