Gujarat Congress shifts its 44 MLAs to Bengaluru

The Congress has sent 44 of its legislators to a resort outside Bengaluru to fend off “poaching” attempts by the BJP ahead of the August 8 Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat, a senior party leader said.

Of the 57 Congress MLAs in the State, from where senior party leader Ahmed Patel is contesting, six resigned from the party in the last two days with three of them joining the BJP on Friday.

“Congress has shifted 44 of its MLAs to Bengaluru,” Gujarat Congress general secretary Nishit Vyas, who is with the legislators in Bengaluru, told PTI. “It was for the safety and security of the MLAs who are being threatened if they do not agree to switch sides… that is why we decided to bring them to Bengaluru,” he claimed.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani denied the Congress’ claims. “This is the internal problem of Congress as its leader of opposition Shankarsinh Vaghela, its chief whip Balwantsinh Rajput and spokesperson Tajeshriben Patel have quit as they faced difficulties. They have taken their MLAs to Bangaluru as they do not have faith in their MLAs,” he said in Rajkot.