Gujarat: On day of RS polls, Cong MLAs leave for Gandhinagar

Over 60 Congress MLAs who were housed at Balaram Palace Resort in Palanpur, left for Gandhinagar to cast votes for the two Rajya Sabha seats where by-polls are being held today.

As many as 69 Congress MLAs from the state were shifted to the resort, which is 150 kilometres away from Ahmedabad, to avoid horsetrading.

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

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

Expressing worries out possible horse trading efforts by the ruling BJP, the Congress leader attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah for promoting the malpractice in their "political laboratory".

Voting for the two seats will take place today as they were left vacant by Shah and Smriti Irani who were elected to the Lok Sabha and subsequently resigned from the Upper House.

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 their opponents.