Above 40 Congress MLAs who were staying in Bengaluru have returned to Gujarat early this morning. The MLAs arrived at Ahmedabad’s International Airport in the wee hours today amid tight security. According to sources, they are currently lodged in a private resort near Anand, where they celebrate Raksha bandhan with their family members. They will come to Gandhinagar tomorrow to cast their votes for elections of three seats of Rajya Sabha from Gujarat. Newly appointed Congress Chief Whip and MLA Shailesh Parmar told media that all 44 Congress MLAs are united and cast their vote in Rajya Sabha elections tomorrow.
As per information received, Congress legislators were taken to Bengaluru after six Congress legislators resigned from party. Congress had alleged that BJP is indulging in horse trading to influence the Congress MLAs for the Rajya Sabha elections. Last week, the Income Tax department had also raided several premises owned by Karnataka Minister D.K. Shivakumar and his family, including Bengaluru`s Eagleton Resort where the 44 Gujarat Congress legislators were staying.
According to information received, congress MLAs were taken to Bengaluru after resignations of six MLAs from the party ahead of Rajya Sabha polls. Some of these six MLAs have joined BJP, while one of them is BJP candidate in Rajya Sabha polls against Congress candidate Ahmed Patel.
Some Congress MLAs who refused to go to Bengaluru are likely to vote against Congress candidate. Congress had demanded police security for heir MLAs till the end of two-day assembly session beginning tomorrow. Meanwhile, top leaders of BJP and Congress had met separately to chalk out their strategy for Rajya Sabha polls. While NCP, with two MLAs in the house had announced that they still not decided to vote Congress candidate in Rajya Sabha elections.
In Gujarat, Congress has sought security for MLAs ahead of Gujarat RS elections. Congress chief whip Shailesh Parmar in a letter to Assembly Speaker Ramanlal Vora, Chief Secretary J N Singh and DGP Geetha Johri, sought security for the MLAs from the time they land at the Ahmedabad airport till they reach their homes after the Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday.
