NCP MLA deals a blow to Gujarat Congress on eve of Rajya Sabha polls

On the eve of Rajya Sabha polls, Congress suffered another setback on Thursday after the lone Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Kandhal Jadeja attended a meeting of BJP MLAs at the party's headquarters in Gandhinagar, ending the speculation over his vote preference. Congress was hoping for his vote in its favour. Incidentally, Congress and NCP are partners in the coalition government in Maharashtra led by Shiv Sena.

With this, the chances of victory for Congress candidates, national spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil and former Gujarat Congress president and ex-union minister Bharatsinh Solanki, have faded. It is being speculated that Gohil, said to be the party's first choice, will sail through while Solanki will have to face defeat. The Congress suffered setbacks after eight of its MLAs resigned ahead of the polls.

One of the BJP candidates, Narhari Amin told reporters that the party will win all the three seats. Meanwhile, Bharatsinh Solanki claimed that "Some of the BJP MLAs are going to cross-vote that will ensure Congress victory."

In 2017, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel had narrowly escaped defeat in the Rajya Sabha polls after a BJP vote was termed invalid. Since 2017, Congress has faced resignation and cross-voting by many MLAs, and had to shift its MLAs to resorts.

Leader of opposition in the state assembly and Congress MLA from Amreli Paresh Dhanani told DH that Congress was hopeful of winning the two seats, and accused the BJP of "using power and money to win polls because it didn't have enough numbers."

BJP has fielded three candidates. The victory of Bharadwaj and Bara is certain but to ensure Amin's election, the BJP needs one vote which the NCP MLA Jadeja is said to have confirmed by attending the party meeting at the headquarters, Kamalam in Gandhinagar.

The vote of independent MLA Jignesh Mevani is with Congress while MLAs Chhotu Vasana and his son Mahesh of Bhartiya Tribal Party are yet to decide which party they are supporting. Of 182 Assembly seats, there are 172 existing MLAs who will be casting votes on Friday for which the election commission has made preparation in view of the coronavirus pandemic.