Congress expels 8 Gujarat MLAs for violating party whip by cross-voting in Rajya Sabha elections

Congress on Wednesday expelled 8 MLAs from the party for violation of the whip by cross-voting in Rajya Sabha polls. 

“Eight Gujarat Congress MLAs have already been expelled from the party. Six more have been expelled from the party for violation of the whip in the Rajya Sabha polls,” said Gujarat Congress in-charge Ashok Gehlot.

It is reported that all the expelled leaders are close to senior leader Shankarsinh Vaghela who quit the party before the Rajya Sabha polls.

The political secretary of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Ahmed Patel, won against Balwantsinh Rajput in the Gujarat Rajya Sabha polls. Patel secured 44 votes in comparison to 38 votes which were cast for Rajput.

Congress candidate Ahmed Patel on Tuesday defeated the BJP nominee in a bitterly fought Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat after late night dramatic developments saw the Election Commission reject the votes of two dissident MLAs of the main opposition party for violating electoral rules.

Patel, political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi beat Balwantsinh Rajput, till recently the party’s chief whip in the state Assembly before defecting to BJP, polling 44 votes, in the first RS polls in Gujarat in two decades which saw a contest instead of official candidates of major parties getting elected unopposed. Rajput secured 38 votes.

BJP chief Amit Shah made his maiden entry into the house of elders and so did party nominee and Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani, clinching 46 votes each, an EC official said.

“This is not just my victory. It is a defeat of the most blatant use of money power, muscle power and abuse of state machinery,” Patel, who secured a fifth Rajya Sabha term after the tough electoral fight, tweeted after his victory.

“I am happy and I thank my party leadership, my MLAs, party’s rank and file who worked like a family. It was a tough election which we won,” he said.

Also read | Gujarat RS Polls: Victory for Congress’ Ahmed Patel, Amit Shah makes maiden entry in Upper House