New Delhi: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Tuesday slammed Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s “80% versus 20%” remark and insisted that “communal thoughts must be countered”.He also criticised the chief minister, saying that his remarks on “80% versus 20%” were shameful and displayed “what he believes in”.Pawar insisted that these remarks also showed that “communal thoughts must be countered to maintain unity and tolerance in the country” and expressed hope and confidence that this time “the people of Uttar Pradesh will vote against” the BJP.Adityanath, while speaking on the last day of a two-day Doordarshan Conclave ‘Kitna Badla UP’, said that it will be an “80% versus 20%” poll in Uttar Pradesh. “The 80% supporters will be on one side while 20% will be on the other. I think 80% will move forward with positive energy whereas 20% have always opposed and will oppose further. The BJP will win, and again work to take forward the ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ campaign,” the chief minister said.In Uttar Pradesh, Muslims constitute around 20% of the electorate.Meanwhile, the NCP announced that it would be joining hands with the Samajwadi Party and contesting the upcoming assembly elections in the state as its alliance partner.Also read: UP Polls: In Samajwadi Party’s Quest for Winnability, Will Muslim Representation Take a Hit?Addressing the media in Mumbai, Pawar said the people of Uttar Pradesh were looking for a change and so various political parties were coming together to oust the ruling BJP. “In Uttar Pradesh, a meeting of like-minded parties in forming a coalition with the Samajwadi Party will be held on Wednesday where seat sharing will be discussed,” he said, adding that his party has “formalised an alliance with the Samajwadi Party and other regional allies for the state”.The NCP leader added that “the people of Uttar Pradesh have realised that the BJP has not fulfilled a single promise it made and therefore, this state will see change this time.”On his party’s stand for the elections in other states, he said the NCP will be contesting five seats in Manipur and was in talks with the Congress, Shiv Sena and Trinamool Congress for Goa.He also demanded that political parties should set their differences aside to defeat the BJP in Goa. “It is required that the BJP government in Goa is removed from its position for which a coalition is necessary. NCP leader Praful Patel and Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut are talking with the local Congress leaders there,” he added.Pawar also declared that his party was keen on contesting the polls in Manipur and declared that it will “contest five seats (in alliance) with the Congress”.
