Nitin Gadkari has rubbished rumours about him replacing PM Modi. (File)

A day after Union minister Nitin Gadkari said "leaders who fail to fulfill promises made to people get "beaten up", Sharad Pawar's National Congress Party interpreted his remarks as an expression of voices within the BJP against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's failure.

NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said today that Nitin Gadkari was also trying to establish himself as an alternative to PM Modi since the BJP was going to lose in the Lok Sabha polls. "Gadkariji has become outspoken after the Assembly polls in the three states (Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh). It indicates there will be no Modi and BJP government after the polls," he said.

NCP's ally Congress had won elections in three Hindi heartland states.

"Somewhere, voice is being raised within the BJP over Modi's failure. Since the BJP is going to lose, he (Gadkari) is trying to establish himself as the alternative to PM Modi," he said.

Last month, Nitin Gadkari had said at an event in Pune that leadership should have the tendency to own up defeat and failures.

At the valedictory function on January 13, Mr Gadkari had said politicians should not interfere with other fields. The meet became the subject of controversy after an invitation to writer Nayantara Sahgal was withdrawn.