Gujarat RS polls: Congress moves MLAs to Jaipur

GANDHINAGAR: On Saturday, days before the Rajya Sabha elections on March 26, the Gujarat Congress moved a group of 15 MLAs to Jaipur fearing attempts by the BJP to influence votes. The Congress apparently fears a repeat of the 2017 Rajya Sabha elections.
The 15 MLAs were seen at the Ahmedabad airport on Saturday evening taking a flight to Jaipur as directed by the party.
Sources in the Congress said that at least six more MLAs will reach a “safe place” in Jaipur, taking the number of MLAs there to 21. Only a handful of MLAs, including the leader of the opposition (LOP) in the state assembly, Paresh Dhanani, may remain in Gandhinagar to take part in the ongoing budget session of the assembly.

Among those who have gone to Jaipur in the first lot are Baldevji Thakor, Ajit Chauhan, Rajesh Gohil, Rutvij Makwana, Poonam Parmar, Harshad Ribadiya, Indrajit Thakor, Lakha Bharwad, Chandanji Thakor, Pradhyumansinh Jadeja, Chirag Kalariya, Himatsinh Patel, and Geniben Thakor.
Baldevji Thakor who led the group said, “The BJP is using dirty tactics to break our unity. But that will not happen. We decided to go to Jaipur as a precaution only.” He went on to say: “As and when required, our MLAs will return to Gandhinagar for assembly proceedings.” In 2017, the Congress had sent their MLAs to a Bengaluru resort after the BJP poached about 14 MLAs before the Rajya Sabha polls.
Amit Chavda, the state Congress president, said: “The BJP is trying to misuse police and other officials to threaten our MLAs. Their leaders are trying to influence our MLAs by visiting their homes and offices.” Chavda went on to say: “So to avoid all this, we decided to shift our MLAs to Jaipur as there is a Congress government there. Around 25 to 30 MLAs will stay in Gandhinagar to take part in the proceedings of the state assembly. “So far, 14 MLAs have flown to Jaipur while six to seven have gone by road,” he said. “I will join them shortly. We will return before Rajya Sabha polls.”
Dhanani said: “The BJP has fielded a third candidate without the numbers. It is trying to poach our MLAs by using illegal and immoral ways.” He went on to say: “They used similar means during the 2017 Rajya Sabha elections.”