RS polls: Some Guj Cong MLAs off to Jaipur to keep BJP at bay

The Gujarat Congress on Saturday started shifting its MLAs to different destinations outside the state fearing horse trading ahead of Rajya Sabha elections to be held on March 26.

Around 14 MLAs were taken to a resort in Jaipur on a flight from Ahmedabad Airport on Saturday evening, while another batch of MLAs is likely to reach the Rajasthan capital on Sunday, party sources said.

Sources said Congress MLAs will be shifted to Jaipur and other places in batches, and a few will also stay back to attend the Assembly session as required.

The Congress decided to shift its MLAs, even when the Assembly session is underway, after three BJP candidates and two from Congress filed their RS poll nomination forms on Friday for four seats.

MLAs like Himmatsinh Patel, Ganiben Thakor, Chandanji Thakor, Rutvik Makwana, Bharatji Thakor, Lakha Bharwad, Nathabhai Patel, Ajitsinh Chauhan, Harshad Ribadiya, Chirag Kalariya and others were seen at Ahmedabad airport, as they arrived to board flights to unknown destinations.

Sources said the MLAs will go in separate groups to Congress-ruled states like Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

Talking to the media, MLA Baldevji Thakor said, "For now I am going to Delhi. From Delhi, the party will decide where I will go. We have to go to three to four different places."
Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said, "As part of strategy, we are shifting some of our MLAs so that the BJP is not able to use state machinery to poach them."