Nationalist Congress Party Chief Sharad Pawar
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar has announced that his party will contest the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh as part of the Samajwadi Party-led alliance. Pawar said that the people of Uttar Pradesh want change, adding that it will happen. He also claimed that 13 members of the Legislative Assembly will be joining the Samajwadi Party.
"There will be change in Uttar Pradesh," Pawar told reporters on Tuesday while speaking on the fate of the Yogi Adityanath government. “People need change,” he added.
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Pawar slammed Yogi Adityanath over the latter’s “80:20” remarks. Yogi Adityanath has called the UP election an "80 versus 20 battle", in a highly controversial comment seen to imply a religious divide. The numbers cited by him roughly correspond to the ratio of Hindus to Muslims in UP.
On Uttar Pradesh minister Swami Prasad Maurya quitting the state cabinet to join Samajwadi Party, Pawar said, “Every day some new faces will ‘migrate’ in the run up to the voting.” The NCP chief said he will participate in a meeting called by Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav.
When asked about Goa, he said that talks are on with “like-minded parties” to jointly oust BJP from power in the coastal state.
“NCP leader Praful Patel and Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut are talking with local Congress leaders there,” he said. "There is a common thinking that BJP should be defeated there and talks are in progress with like-minded parties."
“Our desire is that parivartan (change) is needed in Goa. There is a need to oust BJP from power there,” the NCP boss said.
NCP will contest five seats in Manipur with Congress, he said.
READ MORE: Akhilesh Yadav welcomes Swami Prasad Maurya to his party, says more will follow
