Swami Prasad Maurya anticipates political winds, his resignation indicates BJP will not win Uttar Pradesh polls: Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said on Tuesday that Swami Prasad Maurya, who resigned as Uttar Pradesh Minister on Tuesday, anticipates the flow of winds in politics aptly and his likely joining Samajwadi Party is an indication of the Bharatiya Janata Party facing defeat in the upcoming assembly polls in the state.

Maurya resigned from the Uttar Pradesh cabinet earlier today and three other BJP MLAs resigned from the party.

"It is a said about him (Maurya) that he anticipates aptly the direction of flowing wind in politics. When he is joining the Samajwadi Party, it means that it can be expected that BJP is not going to come back to power in Uttar Pradesh," Raut told reporters here.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav welcomed Maurya to his party in a tweet after he quit the Yogi Adiyanath cabinet.

Raut said that Shiv Sena is trying to form an Maha Vikas Aghadi-like alliance in Goa and talks are on with the political parties.

"We are trying to form an alliance like the MVA. The talks are on. I am visiting Delhi tomorrow. We will continue the talks for Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra," Raut said.

Earlier today, Nationalist Congres Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar announced that his party will contest the forthcoming assembly elections in Goa, Uttar Pradesh, and Manipur.

"We will contest upcoming assembly elections in three states out of a total of five states. These three states are Goa, Uttar Pradesh, and Manipur," Pawar said at a press conference here.

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.

He said talks were being held with Congress and Trinamool Congress for alliance in Goa. NCP is a partner in MVA government.

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)