Rajya Sabha polls: Ahmed Patel files nomination from Gujarat

With Shankarsinh Vaghela quitting the Congress party last week, prospects of Ahmed Patel's re-election to the Rajya sabha looks bleak.

Senior Congress leader and confidante of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Ahmed Patel, on Wednesday filed nomination for Rajya Sabha election from Gujarat. Patel's current term ends on August 18.

Speaking of the nomination from the state Patel said 'Looking into it the aspect of cross voting. When party asked me, whether risk or not, I will contest.

'Never thought of contesting from another state,' he said. Patel is Congress president Sonia Gandhi's political secretary.

With Shankarsinh Vaghela quitting the Congress party last week, prospects of Ahmed Patel's re-election to the Rajya sabha looks bleak.

Congress has 57 MLAs in Gujarat and its candidate would require votes of 47 of them to get elected. The RS poll comes close on the heels of the presidential election which exposed chinks in the Congress armour as the joint opposition's nominee Meira Kumar could garner votes of only 49 MLAs.

In a body blow to the Congress in Gujarat, last week announced he was quitting the party. He enjoys considerable support in North Gujarat.

(With agency inputs)