A day before the crucial Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) extended its support to Congress candidate Ahmed Patel, who is seeking his fifth term to the Upper House amidst a split in the Congress.
“I have just received a message that the NCP has announced its support to my candidature and the party will also issue whip for the same,” Mr Patel told reporters.
All 44 Congress legislators are united and will vote for the party, "shunning all offers and threats given by the BJP and other State agencies."
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NCP MLA Kandhal Jadeja claims the party has asked two legislators to vote for BJP.
Besides, two legislators of the NCP, a lone JD(U) MLA Chhotubhai Vasava has also extended his support to Mr. Patel’s nomination.
Another lone MLA of the now disbanded Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) Nalin Kotadia, who had supported the Congress candidate, has now reportedly gone to the BJP camp.
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BJP’s Chief Whip in the Assembly Pankaj Desai said the party’s whip would be binding on Mr. Kotadia also because the GPP had merged with the BJP after the 2012 Assembly polls.
Both the Congress and the BJP have issued whips to their respective members, asking them to vote as per the party’s mandate and not use NOTA, as that too will be treated as violation the party mandate, and inviting disqualification from the membership.
Congress MLAs in Anand resort
All the 44 Congress legislators, who were taken to Bengaluru after six party MLAs resigned and seven others stayed away from the party, returned to the State on Monday early morning.
Mr. Patel received the legislators at the Ahmedabad airport from there they were straightway taken to a resort in Anand, 70 km from Ahmedabad.
“All MLAs are united and vote for our senior leader Ahmed Patel,” senior Congress leader Indravijaysinh Gohil, who has been asked to ensure the ''safety'' of the party legislators, told The Hindu .
Mr Gohil and his team have provided a two-layer security cover to all legislators besides the police security.