Gujarat: Day before RS polls, Congress conducts mock poll for newly elected legislators

Ahead of the by-elections for two Rajya Sabha seats in Gujarat, Congress conducted a mock poll for the newly elected Congress legislators here on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Congress had shifted its MLAs to a resort in Palanpur area in Banaskatha district of the state in a bid to avoid horse trading.

Speaking to ANI, senior state party leader Arjun Modhwadia said: "Yes, we are here to avoid horse trading and for the political training of our MLAs."

As many as 69 Congress MLAs from the state have been shifted to Balaram resort which is 150 kilometres away from Ahmedabad.

The party had earlier planned to shift the legislators in Mount Abu hill station in Rajasthan but the plan was changed at the last moment.

Voting for Rajya Sabha will take place on Friday for the two seats that became vacant after the election of Smriti Irani and Amit Shah to Lok Sabha in recent polls.

The MLAs will be casting their votes at Vidhan Sabha for the two seats of the upper House of Parliament.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and OBC leader Jugalji Thakur have been fielded by the BJP; while Congress' Chandrika Chudasama and Gaurav Pandya are hoping to win the seats.