Shiv Sena Will Contest 50-100 Seats in UP Polls: Sanjay Raut

Raut also reportedly said that he will be visiting west UP on Thursday.

Sanjay Raut. Image used for representational purposes. 

(Photo: The Quint)

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday, 12 January, announced that the Shiv Sena will contest 50-100 seats in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. According to ANI, Raut also said that he will be visiting west Uttar Pradesh (UP) on Thursday.

“Shiv Sena will contest on 50-100 seats in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. I will be visiting western Uttar Pradesh tomorrow.”

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut

Earlier on Tuesday, Raut had lauded Swami Prasad Maurya after the latter resigned as a minister in the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh.

“It is 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 said.

Meanwhile, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar said on Tuesday that his party will contest the Uttar Pradesh elections in alliance with the Samajwadi Party and other smaller parties.

"There is going to be a meeting of the alliance parties in Lucknow tomorrow. NCP UP chief will participate in that meet. We have had discussions about contesting some seats there, but after tomorrow’s meeting in Lucknow, we might decide upon the seat sharing," he said.

The 2022 state Assembly elections in five states - Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh - will begin with the first phase of voting in UP on 10 February and will end on 7 March with the seventh and last phase of the polling in the state. The counting of votes in all states will be held on 10 March.