Relocating MLAs part of Cong’s anti-poaching plan

PANAJI/JAIPUR: With counting of votes for elections to five states scheduled for March 10, the Congress has prepared a “foolproof” plan to relocate victorious MLAs from Goa and Uttarakhand to a designated “safe” place, possibly in party-ruled Rajasthan, senior party leaders in Goa, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan have told HT.

A senior party leader familiar with the plan said the issue of protecting victorious MLAs was brought up during a meeting senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held with Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel on February 27.

“The party is expecting to form the government in Uttarakhand and Goa and the leadership is serious about preventing any attempt to poach the MLAs,” said a Rajasthan Congress leader who did not wish to be named.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is scheduled to visit Jaipur on Monday. “She will be meeting the CM (Gehlot) and discussions related to postpoll management cannot be ruled out...,” the leader said.

MLAs from Goa and Uttarakhand may be sent to hotels in Jaipur and Jodhpur — locations the party has used on earlier occasions to secure MLAs from Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

In Goa, where the Congress failed to form the government in 2017 despite emerging as the single largest party, state Congress president Girish Chodankar said, “We have a foolproof plan for any eventuality.” He did not elaborate on the plans. Party leaders in Goa said candidates will be asked to report to a confidential location from where they would be taken to a safe place outside the state. “Depending on the results, the MLAs will be kept outside the state and will be brought back as and when required,” another senior party leader said.

The party contested elections to the 40-member Goa assembly in alliance with the Goa Forward Party. Party functionaries said Congress is also in touch with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party for a post-poll alliance.

The Congress has also sent All India Congress Committee senior observer P Chidambaram and Goa in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao to Goa to oversee the party’s strategy ahead of the counting. Both arrived in Goa on Sunday, a day after they held a meeting with Rahul Gandhi.

A Dehradun-based Congress leader said they would be sending candidates to a “secret” location soon after the results are announced. “We have plan A, B and C ready depending on the poll outcome. If need arises we can send our MLAs to Rajasthan or some other state,” he said.