RS polls: Cong whip to all its Guj MLAs including Shankersinh Vaghela

The resignation spree has sounded trouble for Ahmed Patel, Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary, who has filed papers seeking a fifth term in the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat.

Gujarat Congress on Tuesday decided to issue whip to all MLAs, including the rebel leader Shankersinh Vaghela, ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat.

Party's announced to issue whip following the resignation of six MLAs.

The resignation spree has sounded trouble for Ahmed Patel, Congress president Sonia Gandhi's political secretary, who has filed papers seeking a fifth term in the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat.

Patel has been fielded by the Congress for the August 8 Rajya Sabha elections. The Congress currently has 51 MLAs in the 182-member Assembly and it needs 45 votes to win one Rajya Sabha seat.

Three out of six MLAs have joined the BJP. Of the total 11 Rajya Sabha members from Gujarat, the term of three of them -- Smriti Irani and Dilipbhai Pandya (both BJP) and Ahmed Patel (Congress) -- is ending on August 18.

Moreover, the Congress has moved 40 plus MLAs to Karnataka to avoid the risk of poaching of the MLAs by BJP. The party claimed this was to protect its MLAs from the money and muscle power of the ruling BJP, which it said was harassing the legislators to cross-over.

OneIndia News