Update: 14 MLAs have left for Jaipur from SVPI airport in Ahmedabad, two more will also leave from other airports

Gandhinagar: All Gujarat Congress MLAs will gather in capital Jaipur of Congress-ruled Rajasthan ahead of polling for four seats of Rajya Sabha in Gujarat scheduled to take place on March 26 in attempt to make sure that they are not lured by ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and they all vote in favor of two candidates of Congress party in a single chunk in Rajya Sabha election.

Majority, or all Congress MLAs are leaving for Jaipur in Indigo flight 6E 237 at 7.10 pm today. Their tickets are booked and most of them are going to leave for airport in a single group from the residence of state party president and MLA Amit Chavda.

The MLAs are told that some of them will be allowed to return to attend the State assembly session in Gandhinagar next week when their turn to speak in the assembly is scheduled and then they will be flown back again to Jaipur. State assembly budget session will conclude on March 31st. There are 12 working days left in current session (leaving weekends and Cheti Chand holidays). Polling is scheduled on March 26. Those Congress MLAs who are not allowed to return from Jaipur to attend the session for even a single time, will miss 8 days of assembly session.

There are four Rajya Sabha seats vacant in Gujarat quota. Rajya Sabha candidates are elected through votes of MLAs. As per the existing strength of MLAs, BJP and Congress can win two seats each.While Congress has fielded two candidates – Shaktisinh Gohil and Bharatsinh Solanki, ruling party BJP is in assertive mood again and it has fielded three candidates – Abhay Bhardwaj, Ramila Bara and Narhari Amin. To make Narhari Amin victorious, BJP will need to snatch away at least three votes from Congress. BJP will also need to win the votes of one NCP MLA and two BTP MLAs. Fearing poaching or success of BJP to win over required number of MLAs, Congress has decided to fly MLAs to neighboring Congress-ruled Rajasthan capital Jaipur.

During year 2017 Rajya Sabha elections, Congress had shifted its MLAs to then Congress-ruled Karnataka state.

DeshGujarat