Ahead of RS polls, Congress moves Gujarat MLAs to Raj

JAIPUR: :Ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections on March 26 and fear of poaching or cross-voting, a number of Congress MLAs of different states are being brought to Rajasthan, people familiar with the development said on Sunday.

With the presence of 73 members in the 182-member Gujarat assembly, the Congress has fielded two candidates for Rajya Sabha from Gujarat. With ruling BJP in Gujarat having fielded three candidates for the election to four Rajya Sabha seats, the Congress now have started shifting their MLAs to Rajasthan from the bordering state.

Over a dozen Congress MLAs from Gujarat arrived in Jaipur on Saturday night amid fear of cross voting in Rajya Sabha elections, people familiar with the development said. Around 50 more will be reaching the city in next two days – they will be staying here since budget session is underway, people added.

On asking why Rajasthan has been chosen to keep the flock together, he said, “The Congress leadership cannot think any person other than chief minister Ashok Gehlot in this moment of crisis – party has unchallenged faith in him.” The Gujarat MLAs have been put at a luxury hotel Shiv Vilas on Delhi road, a senior

Congress leader added.

In November 2019, the Congress MLAs of Maharashtra were kept in a luxury resort of Rajasthan’s capital city, Jaipur, to avoid poaching of its flock prior to the government formation. Now after bidding adieu to MLAs of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday morning, the party brought MLAs from Gujarat on Saturday night, people added.

The Congress leader on anonymity, who worked to provide good hospitality to Madhya Pradesh MLAs, said around 70 MLAs,including three independents, from MP who had arrived and stayed here for four nights, five days left on Sunday morning.

Now MLAs from Gujarat have arrived and more (around 50) will be brought here in next two days, they too are likely to stay for four nights, the Congress leader added. HTC

The Congress leadership cannot think any person other than chief minister Ashok Gehlot in this moment of crisis – party has unchallenged faith in him

SENIOR CONGRESS LEADER