The move by the Gujarat Congress to shift its 41 legislators to a resort in Bengaluru has put it in a political fix back home.
The Congress shifted its legislators under the pretext of protecting its flock from any kind of “outside” influence after six of its legislators quit the party, with three of them jumping ship to join the BJP.
The Congress does not seem to be wanting to take any chance before the August 8 Rajya Sabha polls in the state. Ahmed Patel, the political adviser to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, is seeking his fifth term in the Upper House from Gujarat, and is pitted against BJP chief Amit Shah, Union minister Smriti Irani and party turncoat Balwant Singh Rajput, who till recently was the chief whip of the Congress in the Gujarat Assembly.
On Saturday, the ruling BJP and rebel Congress leader Shankarsinh Vaghela hit out at the Congress for the timing of the event, stating that when people in the state are suffering from floods, the Congressmen are enjoying a luxurious stay in Bengaluru.
“Instead of working for flood-affected people in the worst-affected districts like Banaskantha and Patan, they have flown off legislators to Bengaluru,” Nitin Patel, deputy chief minister, said. Even rebel leader Shankarsinh Vaghela said that this was time for people’s representatives to be with the suffering people and provide them succour, instead of flying off outside the state.
However, Congress state chief Bharatsinh Solanki said he would be visiting flood-affected areas on Sunday. Ahmed Patel and Ashok Gehlot, too, would visit such areas, he added.
Published 29 July 2017, 12:37 IST