Congress shifts 25 Gujarat MLAs to Rajasthan to prevent poaching

Around 21 more Congress legislators from Gujarat have been shifted to a private resort in Rajasthan ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections in the state.

The Congress has 65 MLAs in Gujarat, some of whom have already been packed off to different resorts.

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The party decided to take action after two of its MLAs resigned on June 4. A third resigned a day later.

Patan MLA Kirit Patel said those who wanted to leave the Congress had left. "Now we are all together. No one can lure us," he said.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has questioned the Congress move of shifting MLAs to Rajasthan amid the lockdown.

"The shifting of MLAs to a resort in Rajasthan shows how much pressure the Congress must be under in the present circumstances. Even the party high command didn`t think of lockdown norms and sent MLAs to Rajasthan knowing well about the coronavirus risk for these many people," said a BJP leader.

Earlier too, Gujarat MLAs had been shifted to a Jaipur resort to prevent poaching when the elections were scheduled for March 26.

The Rajya Sabha elections to 18 seats were postponed due to lockdown. It`s now scheduled on June 19. MLAs will vote for 4 seats in Gujarat and 3 in Rajasthan.