Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who is contesting the Assembly election from Baramati seat, urged the party workers on Friday to refrain from calling Gopichand Padalkar, BJP's candidate from the constituency, an "outsider".
Pawar was addressing a public rally in Baramati during the filing of nomination filing.
"It is wrong to think why someone is coming here and contesting the election, as the Constitution has given him the right," he said.
"Making a statement that Padalkar is an outsider is a wrong thing and I appeal to you to refrain from criticising a candidate, who is contesting election," he said.
Talking to mediapersons, Pawar also said that he never thought that BJP leaders and state ministers Vinod Tawde and Chandrashekhar Bawankule would be denied ticket by their party.
He expressed confidence that he would win the election with a huge margin considering the support he was getting from the people of Baramati.