In Mumbai for the all-important national convention of the NCP, both leaders expectedly dismissed Congress president Sonia Gandhi's contribution in the election result that gave the Congress a majority in the 40-member Assembly. ``Any credit for the good show should be collective,'' said Pawar, ``since we were all together while finalising the strategy and selecting candidates for the Assembly election.''

The NCP was not in the field but there are a few elected members of the Legislative Assembly who share an affinity with Pawar. Asked about the possibility oftheir joining the NCP now, Pawar merely said, ``Wait and watch''. Both he and Sangma refused to accept that their stand on a person of foreign origin had not washed with the Goa voters; they do not see the Goa result as a failure to reach out. ``We were not there at all,'' they said.