UP Assembly polls: NCP should join hands with Congress, BSP also, says Sanjay Raut

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 12 (ANI): After Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar announced that his party would ally with Samajwadi Party for the UP assembly polls, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said that NCP should join hands with the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party also in the big fight to save Uttar Pradesh.
Earlier on Tuesday, the NCP chief said that the party is going to contest elections with Samajwadi Party and other smaller parties in Uttar Pradesh. "The people of Uttar Pradesh are looking for a change. We will surely see the change in the state," he said.
Speaking to ANI, Raut said, "They should even take Congress along. It is a big fight. He should take everyone together. People want a change of power in the state. Even the BSP should join hands with the others. You have to forget everything and come together."
Talking about Shiv Sena's role in the UP polls, the MP said that his party would fight the election on nearly 50 to 100 seats.
"Shiv Sena has a role in the national politics. I am visiting UP tomorrow and meeting our people in Western UP. Our party will fight on nearly 50 to 100 seats," he said.
Further talking about the recent resignations that took place from the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday when cabinet minister Swami Prasad Maurya and three MLAs resigned from their positions, Raut said that this indicates that Uttar Pradesh is moving towards a political change.
"It will keep happening. The party that has been predicted to win in the opinion polls, the minister, and MLAs of that party is leaving that party, what does this indicate? No matter what the polls show, the ground reality is different. It is said about Swami Prasad Maurya that he understands that wind of politics very aptly and never stays with the party that is going to lose. If such people are leaving the party, then I think UP is moving towards political change," he said.
Elections for the 403-member Uttar Pradesh assembly will be held in seven phases. The polling will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, and March 3 and 7 in seven phases.
The polling in Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Goa will be held on February 14 and in Manipur in two phases on February 27 and March 6. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI)