Ahead of Goa assembly polls slated for February 14, the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party have decided to form an alliance with Shiv Sena leader and MP Sanjay Raut said on Sunday. Speaking to news agency ANI, Raut said, "Shiv Sena and NCP will contest together in Goa assembly elections. There will be a discussion on seat sharing on January 18. NCP's senior leader Praful Patel will discuss the seat-sharing formula in Goa on January 18. Only after that, it will be clear who will contest on how many seats."
"Political dynamics are different in Maharashtra and Goa. NCP, Shiv Sena, Congress are in alliance in Maharashtra. However, at the moment Congress has decided to contest alone without forming an alliance with any other party in the state," he further added.
Earlier on Tuesday, NCP chief Sharad Pawar had said that he is in talks with Congress and Trinamool Congress for a possible alliance to contest the Goa assembly polls. Goa elections are set to be held in a single phase on February 14. The counting of votes will be held on March 10.
NCP will contest the Uttar Pradesh polls in an alliance with the Samajwadi Party. After this announcement, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday had said that NCP should join hands with the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party also in the big fight to save Uttar Pradesh. He did not comment much on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's decision to contest from Gorakhpur.
"I will not make any comment on Yogi Ji's decision to contest from Gorakhpur. He has been fielded from his native constituency. So, it is a good thing. I have heard that Aparna Yadav is going to join BJP. It's good to know," he said. Yadav is the daughter-in-law of Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Meanwhile, elections for the 403 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10.
(With ANI Inputs)
