Ahmedabad: Over 40 MLAs of Gujarat Congress, including those from flood-hit areas are to be taken back from Bangalore to Ahmedabad airport tomorrow by Congress party.

After over a week period, the MLAs are returning back to celebrate Raksha Bandhan which is on August 7. They will cast their votes for Rajya Sabha elections on August 8 in which party has fielded senior leader Ahmed Patel.

State Congress had shifted its over 40 MLAs to a luxurious resort near Bangalore in Congress-ruled Karnataka State after resignation of 6 of its 57 MLAs, some of whom later joined the BJP. Another 7 MLAs of Congress didn’t fly to Bangalore, clearly showing their loyalty to BJP.

Congress Chief Whip Shailesh Parmat today in a statement said that in letter to secretary of Gujarat assembly, chief secretary of state, chief election commissioner and state police DGP he has requested security for Gujarat Congress MLAs during 6-9 August.

“In order to ensure that MLAs can cast votes in Rajya Sabha polls without fear, they should be given police protection during 6-9 August right from their arrival at Ahmedabad airport, night-halt place, route from night-halt to Swarnim Sankul-2 where polling for Rajya Sabha elections is scheduled, two-day assembly session at Mahatma Mandir and upto their house after that,” Parmar said in a statement.

It is believed that Congress MLAs will camp at a farm house near Anand in Central Gujarat where some Congress MLAs were kept a week ago before shifting to Bangalore.

Meanwhile the MLAs today met Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala who is also from Gujarat. They also had photo session at Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in Bangalore.