Gujarat Congress MLA’s showing their unity at a press conference at a resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Sunday. (Source: PTI)
The 44 Congress MLAs staying in Bengaluru’s Eagleton Resort are set to return to Gujarat on Monday, news agency ANI reported. A resort has been booked for their stay near Ahmedabad, the agency added.
This comes days after the Income Tax raided Karnataka energy minister D K Shivakumar’s properties and recovered over Rs 10 crore in cash. Shivakumar has been hosting the MLAs after the Congress moved them to the party-ruled state fearing defections ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls on August 8. At least six MLAs of the Congress quit the party and three of them joined the BJP, including former Congress chief whip Balwantsinh Rajput. The BJP has fielded Rajput against his political mentor Ahmed Patel in the upcoming polls.
The Congress earlier alleged that the I-T raids were politically motivated to target the minister for hosting the MLAs. Speaking about the raids, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters on Sunday said: Today politics in India is that of vendetta and intolerance. This is not in line with the democracy of India. CBI is conducting raids at houses of members of opposition. Why was it sleeping during Vyapam investigation?”
