Uttar Pradesh Election: Sharad Pawar takes jibe at BJP as MLAs, Ministers quit party

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Thursday, January 13, took a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its MLAs quitting the BJP ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and said that not a single day passes without the news of some leader quitting the saffron party. It is to be mentioned that so far, eight BJP MLAs, including three sitting ministers, have tendered their resignations in the past three days.

Speaking at an NCP event, Sharad Pawar said, "If you look at the picture in Uttar Pradesh, BJP leaders were saying 15 days ago, there is no reason to look at anyone in Uttar Pradesh (that the party will come back to power)".

The NCP supremo, who has extended support to the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party in UP, said, "Those in the Cabinet are also leaving the BJP. This is happening in Uttar Pradesh and (at the level of) districts in the state".

Sharad Pawar on BJP's situation in states going to polls

According to Pawar, irrespective of where elections are held, a similar situation (of the BJP being losing power) prevails. The NCP alleged that the BJP has a different ideology which does not include working for the welfare of the people. 

“But, once the common man decides, then no matter how powerful a person is at the top, he cannot stand up in front of the united force of the common people," The former Union minister added.

Earlier this week, Pawar had talked about 13 members of the Legislative Assembly in Uttar Pradesh that he expects will be joining the Samajwadi Party (SP). 

In the past three days, UP sitting ministers including Dara Singh Chauhan, Swami Prasad Maurya, and Dharam Singh Saini have quit the CM Yogi Adityanath-led Cabinet.

Uttar Pradesh Election

As the state will go to elections this year, the Election Commission of India has informed that Uttar Pradesh will vote in seven phases, between February 10 and March 7. The state's second to sixth rounds of polling is scheduled for February 14, 20, 23, 27, and March 3, respectively. It is also mentioned that the counting of votes and declaration of results is scheduled to happen on March 10.

(With inputs from PTI, Image: PTI)