Ahmed Patel will face problems in re-election: Vaghela's son

Former Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela's son Mahendrasinh Vaghela, a Congress MLA in Gujarat, said senior party leader Ahmed Patel will face problems in getting re-elected in the August 8 Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat.

Mahendrasinh Vaghela told TimesNow news channel said that it looks impossible for Patel to win in the prevailing situation.

"Patel would face problem to get 47 votes required for his selection in the given scenario. And it seems almost impossible for him to win in the prevailing scenario," he said.

Mahendrasinh Vaghela's remarks came in the wake of six Congress MLAs resigning from the assembly in the past two days and some of them joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Congress has now herded its legislators to Karnataka to prevent poaching and defections.

Mahendrasinh Vaghela's father Shankarsinh Vaghela, who was Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, had quit the Congress earlier this month.

Mahendrasinh also said that at least 10 more party MLAs could quit the party in the coming days.

"Six MLAs have given their resignation and we are hearing that 10 more MLAs would resign from the party," he said, adding that the MLAs can also do cross voting on August 8.

"Anything can happen. Right now I cannot say clearly but anything can happen. We haven't met yet. First we shall meet and discuss and after that we shall decide what we have to do," he added.

Asked about reasons for the Congress legislators leaving the party, Vaghela said they were leaving on their own.

"They are leaving Congress due to the problem in the party. They are angry with the 'netagiri' in Congress," he said.

He said his father's leaving the party could be a reason for the MLAs to quit.

The BJP has fielded three candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections -- party President Amit Shah, Union Minister Smriti Irani and Balwantsinh Rajput, who quit the Congress on Wednesday.

--IANS

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