New Delhi: Extending his party’s support to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said the former will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh.  


“We have just come back from Goa and will visit UP along with Aaditya Thackeray soon. Akhilesh Yadav is going to form his government there,” Raut said, news agency ANI reported.


The Shiv Sena leader also said that his party would contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections under Maharashtra Tourism and Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray’s leadership across the country.


“Under the leadership of Aaditya Thackeray, we will fight Lok Sabha polls across the country. Preparations are on for it,” he said.


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Uttar Pradesh is geared up for the second phase of voting in 55 assembly constituencies on Monday.


586 candidates are in the fray for 55 assembly seats spread over nine districts, including Rampur, Bareilly, Bijnor, Sambhal, Badaun, Moradabad, Shahjahanpur, Amroha and Saharanpur.


The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged 38 out of the 55 seats in the last assembly elections, while the Samajwadi Party emerged victorious on 15 seats and the Congress won 2 seats.


Voting for the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly is being held in seven phases.


Earlier on Thursday evening, electioneering ended for the first phase of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.


58 constituencies spread across 11 districts, including Shamli (Prabuddh Nagar), Meerut, Hapur (Panchsheel Nagar), Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahar, Aligarh, Agra, Gautam Buddha Nagar and Mathura, voted in this phase.


59 assembly seats will go to the polls in the third phase on February 20, while 60 seats will go to polls in the fourth phase on February 23.


Polling will be held on 60 assembly seats in the fifth phase on February 27, 57 seats in the sixth phase on March 3 and 54 seats in the seventh phase on March 7.


The counting of votes will be held on March 10.