12 January,2022 07:38 AM IST | Mumbai | Dharmendra Jore
Nawab Malik and Sharad Pawar engaged in conversation at a press conference where the NCP chief spoke about the forthcoming elections in five states on Tuesday. Pic/Suresh Karkera
Nationalist Congress Party boss Sharad Pawar has predicted a change of government in Uttar Pradesh. He said on Tuesday that people who want the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to go out of power, will vote for the Samajwadi Party and allies, including the NCP, which will also contest some seats in the northern state.
Apart from UP, the NCP will also contest polls in Manipur in alliance with the Congress. It has four sitting MLAs there and hopes to increase the number by contesting five seats. In Goa, Pawar wants the Congress to take the NCP and Shiv Sena along, but added that the talks were still on. He said he would be happy to see an MVA-like formation toppling the BJP in Goa.
"We are running the government together in Maharashtra. So I wish we together change the government in Goa. I will be content if we manage the effort successfully, " he told mediapersons on Tuesday.
When a leader from UP, Siraj Mehandi, who joined the NCP on Tuesday, said that Pawar should lead the UPA to help cause the BJP's ouster from states and the Centre, Pawar intervened to correct the ex-MLA. He said he did not agree with Mehandi because he felt that the Congress cannot be left out of the anti-BJP formation of opposition.
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He said a majority of parties and people were in favour of throwing the BJP out in UP. "A minister quit and I am told 13 MLAs will also quit. All of them have pledged support to the Samajwadi Party. I think the Samajwadi Party and its allies will form the next UP government," he stated emphatically.
He said as the nominations have started in UP, more leaders will shift base from the BJP to the opposition parties. He stated that the situation in Punjab was favourable for the Congress some time back, but now it was difficult to tell who between the Congress and AAP would emerge as the single largest party.
