Nationalist Congress Party workers owing allegiance to different leaders Sunday engaged in a heated altercation at the venue of a meeting chaired by chief Sharad Pawar.
Supporters of defeated NCP Parbhani Lok Sabha candidate Rajesh Vitekar and those of MLA Madhusudhan Kendre were involved in a tussle over responsibility for the poll loss and police had to intervene to bring the situation under control.
Vitekar lost to Shiv Sena's Sanjay Jadhav by around 42,000 votes in the 2019 general elections.
NCP Maharashtra state president Jayant Patil, however, termed it a "passionate discussion" among workers.
"The party workers openly and fiercely put forward their views during meetings. The passionate discussion between workers is being painted as argument and altercation by a section of media. There was no untoward behaviour neither physical fight. This is not NCP's culture," he said.
Pawar, who has begun district-wise meetings of leaders to finalise the candidates for the forthcoming Assembly polls, was discussing issues with functionaries from Marathwada region.