JD-U vote may have swung RS poll for Patel, Cong expels 8

NEW DELHI/GANDHINAGAR:

It was former ally Janata Dal (United) that won the bitter ly fought Raj ya Sabha election for senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, sources said on Thursday.

Patel was declared elected to the Council of States in early hours after a night of drama and a day of claims and counter-claims of support for the Congress leader. It was the vote of the lone Janata Dal (United) member in Gujarat assembly, Chhotu Vasava, that saw Pa tel home after the Election Commission declared invalid the votes of two rebel Congress legislators.

The BJP plans to challenge the decision that reduced to 44 the votes Patel needed to get into the Rajya Sabha .“We don’t agree with the EC’s decision, we will take all possible legal action,” Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani said on Wednesday.

In a contest that was a battle of prestige for B JP chief Am it Shah, the party seems to have been hit by in fighting in the JD( U ), its newest ally. “Heartiest congratulations on your victory in Rajya Sabha election in spite of toughest hur- d les. Wish you all success in your career,” JD(U)co-founder Sharad Yadav tweeted.

“Thank you for your support Sharad ji,” responded Patel in a telling message. a davis unhappy with party president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s decision togo back to the B JP after snapping ties with the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal.

A Yadav loyalist, Vasava told news channel she was angry with Kumar’ s decision. But, there were more claimants to Pat el’ s victory.

Nationalist Congress Party Gujarat chief Jay ant Pa tel said he stuck to the party whip and foiled Shah and former chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela’s plan to scuttle the Congress leader’ s bid to the Rajya Sabha through crossvoting.

IN A CONTEST THAT WAS A BATTLE OF PRESTIGE FOR BJP CHIEF AMIT SHAH, THE PARTY SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN HIT BY INFIGHTING IN THE JD(U)