NCP Chief Spokesman Nawab Malik on Saturday said his party is in talks with the Samajwadi Party (SP) over the seat-sharing formula for the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, and so far one seat has been decided for the NCP. He also said the current situation in Uttar Pradesh is similar to that in 1993 when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was stopped from occupying power in that state.
Malik said, "The NCP and the Samajwadi Party have decided one seat, which we (NCP) will be contesting. Talks about other seats are going on. The current situation in Uttar Pradesh is similar to 1993, when BJP was ousted from power."
In 1993 Uttar Pradesh elections, SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav had joined hands with the then Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Kanshi Ram to give a jolt to the BJP. The SP-BSP combine formed the government with the support of other parties, even as the BJP had emerged as the single largest party at that time.
Malik further said, "The people of Uttar Pradesh are rejecting BJP's politics of identity, which is creating dominance of one community over others. Hence, groups like Dalits, OBCs, laborers and farmers are moving away from the BJP for good."
Malik’s statement came on a day when BJP released its first list of candidates giving more representation to OBCs, backward classes and minorities.
Earlier this week, NCP president Sharad Pawar had said his party would contest the UP elections as part of the SP-led alliance.
Meanwhile, Malik took a swipe at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aadityanath after his photo about lunch with the Dalit worker was released on the social media. He claimed it was merely a pretense. ‘’The pattal-kulhads show that the food at the Dalit's house was merely a pretense. It is heard that BJP had also arranged for a cook and food,’’ he noted.
