New Delhi: Ahead of the much-awaited Assembly elections scheduled to begin from February 10, veteran political Sharad Pawar announced that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will contest UP polls in alliance with Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party (SP).
"In Uttar Pradesh, we are going to contest elections with Samajwadi Party and other smaller parties," Pawar said adding that people of Uttar Pradesh are looking for a change.
"We will surely see the change in the state," the NCP supremo added.
While speaking to reporters during a press conference, Pawar also claimed that 13 MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh will quit the saffron party and join SP.
His remarks came hours after state minister and senior BJP Swami Prasad Maurya today resigned from the Yogi Adityanath-led Cabinet in UP.
In a massive jolt to the BJP in UP, Swami Prasad Maurya resigned from the state cabinet citing "attitude of gross neglect towards dalits, backwards, farmers, unemployed youth and small and medium-sized traders".
Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav shared a photo of him with Maurya on Twitter welcoming him into his party.
Sharad Pawar On Goa Assembly Polls
Pawar also said that his party is having talks with Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Congress to stitch an alliance for Goa Assembly Elections 2022.
Congress, however, denied having any talks with TMC in Goa.
"The rumour in circulation that a possible alliance with TMC was discussed by Shri Rahul Gandhi in today's meeting is completely baseless & untrue. Let me assure that the Congress party is confident- we will put Goa back on the path to progress soon," senior Congress leader KC Venugopal tweeted.