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Gujarat RS election turns into a high-stakes battle
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Print Gujarat is all set to witness one of the most exciting Rajya Sabha elections in its history on Tuesday.
The stage set for a fierce battle between the two most powerful men in India’s principal political parties – BJP and Congress.
The stage set for a fierce battle between the two most powerful men in India’s principal political parties – BJP and Congress.
176 of the 182-member Gujarat Assembly would vote to elect three representatives to Upper House of Parliament and they have four candidates to choose from.
While Opposition Congress seeks to elect Ahmed Patel, political secretary to party President Sonia Gandhi, BJP has party president Amit Shah, Union minister for textiles Smriti Irani and former chief whip of Congress in Gujarat Assembly-turned-BJP man Balwantsinh Rajput in the fray.
Each candidate requires 45 first preference votes to make it. BJP, with a strength of 122 would find it easy to send two of its representatives to Rajya Sabha. The fight is for the third seat, as BJP fielded Rajput to take on mighty Ahmed Patel.
Though Rajput did not have sufficient numbers, recent trouble within Congress has raised hopes for Rajput preventing Patel from reaching Upper House for his fifth term in a row.
Though Rajput did not have sufficient numbers, recent trouble within Congress has raised hopes for Rajput preventing Patel from reaching Upper House for his fifth term in a row.
The Congress has seen its number of legislators in the Assembly deplete from 57 to 51, with six quitting party by July 28 and three of them joining BJP. Congress moved 44 of its legislators in a dramatic fashion to party-ruled Karnataka for about 10 days to prevent any further “poaching”.
These legislators were eventually brought back home on early Monday morning, only to stay put at Nijanand Resort near Anand, 80 kilometres from the state capital Gandhinagar, the venue of voting. Congress, led by Ahmed Patel, held series of meetings with these legislators on Monday evening with a hope that none of them would resort to cross-voting, has no invalid vote or use NOTA option.
These legislators were eventually brought back home on early Monday morning, only to stay put at Nijanand Resort near Anand, 80 kilometres from the state capital Gandhinagar, the venue of voting. Congress, led by Ahmed Patel, held series of meetings with these legislators on Monday evening with a hope that none of them would resort to cross-voting, has no invalid vote or use NOTA option.
Despite issuing whip and threats of strict action, the worry for Congress is that it does not know how rebel leader Shankarsinh Vaghela, who too has quit Congress, and seven loyal to him would swing on the voting day. Another issue for the Congress is that NCP, which as two legislators in the state Assembly, and the lone JD(U) legislator are keeping everyone guessing.
“I am confident of all my (44) legislators and have spoken to Sharad Pawar ji and I am sure they would help Congress,” Ahmed Patel said. “We will get votes of NCP, JD(U) and Vaghela too.”
Patel extended an olive branch to Vaghela saying that party would address his grievances after Rajya Sabha voting. He also said that Congress was trying to get votes of seven MLAs who had not joined the 44 Congress legislators to Bengaluru.
While the legislators loyal to Vaghela, be it his son Mahendrasinh, Jamnagar legislator Raghavji Patel or Godhra MLA C K Raulji, have been talking againstthe Congress, Vaghela on the day before changed his tack.
Vaghela who till recently claimed that his vote was “reserved” for Patel, on Monday was noncommittal. “It is a secret vote. How can I tell you? Wait for 24 hours and you will know the result,” Vaghela told media persons.
While the legislators loyal to Vaghela, be it his son Mahendrasinh, Jamnagar legislator Raghavji Patel or Godhra MLA C K Raulji, have been talking againstthe Congress, Vaghela on the day before changed his tack.
Vaghela who till recently claimed that his vote was “reserved” for Patel, on Monday was noncommittal. “It is a secret vote. How can I tell you? Wait for 24 hours and you will know the result,” Vaghela told media persons.
BJP on its part too was busy since Sunday evening to chalk out plans for the defeat of Congress. “Ahmed Patel will lose and BJP will win all three seats,” Vijay Rupani, chief minister, Gujarat said.
He, along with his deputy Nitin Patel and BJP state chief Jitu Vaghani, has been attending meets led by Amit Shah to finalise its plans. A meeting of all the party legislators was also held at the state party headquarters to instruct them on voting.
“We have sufficient numbers to see Amitbhai and Smriti ji through and hope is that Balwantsinh ji would also secure enough votes from Opposition legislators to take him through,” a senior party leader said.
He, along with his deputy Nitin Patel and BJP state chief Jitu Vaghani, has been attending meets led by Amit Shah to finalise its plans. A meeting of all the party legislators was also held at the state party headquarters to instruct them on voting.
“We have sufficient numbers to see Amitbhai and Smriti ji through and hope is that Balwantsinh ji would also secure enough votes from Opposition legislators to take him through,” a senior party leader said.
The chess board of politics has been laid and both the parties are busy with their last moves before Tuesday, the last day to checkmate the opponents.
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