The Rajya Sabha witnessed repeated adjournments on the political situation in Gujarat, with the Congress accusing the BJP of trying to steal its MLAs.

Elections to the Upper House from Gujarat are to be held on August 8, and Assembly polls in the State are due later this year.

Senior Congress MP from Gujarat Madhusudan Mistry raised the matter during Zero Hour, prompting BJP members to protest saying the Grand Old Party was trying to blame others for its own failures. Mistry said the BJP was trying to destroy the electoral process.

Talking to reporters later, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said an atmosphere was being created so that the Gujarat Congress MLAs — 44 of whom were flown to ‘safe haven’ Bengaluru — would have to return to Ahmedabad, and from the airport, they “would be stolen”.

“We are not going to fall to this plot orchestrated by the BJP,” Azad said. He urged the media not to involve the name of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi every time the media spoke of Ahmed Patel, who is contesting the Rajya Sabha elections from Gujarat. “He is not contesting as Political Secretary of Congress president. He is contesting there as Congress candidate,” Azad said.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Chief Secretary JN Singh submitted a report to the Election Commission regarding the Congress’ allegations against the ruling BJP on “horse-trading” in the Rajya Sabha elections.

These charges were levelled after six of the party’s 57 MLAs quit the Vidhan Sabha last week. The Opposition party has also accused the BJP of using an IPS officer to influence the Congress MLAs through bribes and threats.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW