RS polls: Congress leaders in Delhi

GANDHINAGAR: Gujarat Congress leaders met Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday to discuss the names of the party’s two Rajya Sabha nominees from Gujarat. Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki and leader of opposition Paresh Dhanani went to Delhi but no names were finalised. After their improved numbers in the 2017 elections, the Congress has a chance to nominate members for two of the four Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat which will fall vacant. All four are with the BJP at present.
Bharatsinh Solanki said, “We came here to discuss the Rajya Sabha nominations and other issues with the party leadership. The party will decide and announce the names shortly.” Solanki refused to comment on his likely nominations or the other names in contention. Congress is expected to field an OBC and an SC candidate. There is also talk of the party fielding the state Congress in-charge Ashok Gehlot, or a Delhi-based leader.

After thwarting the BJP’s efforts to snatch the Rajya Sabha seat held by senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel in August 2017, the tough fight in 2017 assembly elections, the Gujarat Congress is set to jolt the BJP by snatching two additional Rajya Sabha seats.

Rupala, Mandaviya to get second terms

After a substantial loss in numbers in the 2017 assembly elections, the BJP is forced to drop two Rajya Sabha members from Gujarat, with four seats falling vacant. A key source in the BJP said, “The party will have to drop sitting member Shankar Vegad. Union finance minister Arun Jaitley could now contest from Uttar Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh, while Mansukh Mandaviya ( MoS, road transport and highways, shipping, chemicals and fertilizers), Parshottam Rupala (MoS, Panchayati raj, agriculture and farmers welfare) are likely to get second terms.

The Rajya Sabha elections will be held on March 23 and the results will be declared on the same day. All these four seats were with the BJP and were elected by the MLAs in 2011. Now, with the BJP’s reduced numbers after the 2017 assembly elections, it can only get two of the four seats.

After thwarting the BJP’s efforts to snatch the Rajya Sabha seat held by senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel in August 2017, the tough fight in 2017 assembly elections, the Gujarat Congress is set to jolt the BJP by snatching two additional Rajya Sabha seats.