Congress president Sonia Gandhi condoled senior party leader Ahmed Patel's death on Wednesday, saying she has lost an "irreplaceable comrade, a faithful colleague and a friend" whose entire life was dedicated to the party.

Patel (71) passed away in the early hours on Wednesday at a Delhi hospital due to multiple organ failure more than a month after he tested positive for COVID-19.

In her condolence message for Patel, who served as her political secretary for years, Gandhi said, “In Shri Ahmed Patel, I have lost a colleague, whose entire life was dedicated to the Congress Party."

His faithfulness and dedication, his commitment to his duty, his always being there to help, his generosity were rare qualities that distinguished him from others, she said.

"I have lost an irreplaceable comrade, a faithful colleague and a friend. I mourn his passing and I feel deeply for his bereaved family to whom I offer my sincere feelings of empathy and support," the Congress president said.&nbsp;

Patel had tested positive for Covid-19 on October 1. He was hospitalised on November 15 after his health condition deteriorated.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Congress president Sonia Gandhi condoled senior party leader Ahmed Patel's death on Wednesday, saying she has lost an "irreplaceable comrade, a faithful colleague and a friend" whose entire life was dedicated to the party.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi condoled senior party leader Ahmed Patel's death on Wednesday, saying she has lost an "irreplaceable comrade, a faithful colleague and a friend" whose entire life was dedicated to the party. Patel (71) passed away in the early hours on Wednesday at a Delhi hospital due to multiple organ failure more than a month after he tested positive for COVID-19. In her condolence message for Patel, who served as her political secretary for years, Gandhi said, “In Shri Ahmed Patel, I have lost a colleague, whose entire life was dedicated to the Congress Party." His faithfulness and dedication, his commitment to his duty, his always being there to help, his generosity were rare qualities that distinguished him from others, she said. "I have lost an irreplaceable comrade, a faithful colleague and a friend. I mourn his passing and I feel deeply for his bereaved family to whom I offer my sincere feelings of empathy and support," the Congress president said. Patel had tested positive for Covid-19 on October 1. He was hospitalised on November 15 after his health condition deteriorated. (With inputs from agencies)

‘Lost an irreplaceable comrade, faithful colleague’: Sonia Gandhi on Ahmed Patel's demise

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel died at a Gurgaon hospital on Wednesday morning at the age of 71.&nbsp; 
 
One of Sonia Gandhi's closest political advisers, Patel had been in a Gurgaon hospital since his health worsened after a Covid infection.&nbsp;

The announcement of his demise was made by his son Faisal Patel. In a tweet, he said that the Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat died at 3.30 am.

"With profound grief &amp; sorrow, I regret to announce the sad and untimely demise of my father, Mr Ahmed Patel at 25/11/2020, 03:30 AM. After testing positive for COVID-19 around a month back, his health worsened further due to multiple organ failures. May Allah grant him Jannatul Firdaus, inshallah," he tweeted.

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(With inputs from agencies)

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel died at a Gurgaon hospital on Wednesday morning at the age of 71. One of Sonia Gandhi's closest political advisers, Patel had been in a Gurgaon hospital since his health worsened after a Covid infection.

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel died at a Gurgaon hospital on Wednesday morning at the age of 71. One of Sonia Gandhi's closest political advisers, Patel had been in a Gurgaon hospital since his health worsened after a Covid infection. The announcement of his demise was made by his son Faisal Patel. In a tweet, he said that the Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat died at 3.30 am. "With profound grief & sorrow, I regret to announce the sad and untimely demise of my father, Mr Ahmed Patel at 25/11/2020, 03:30 AM. After testing positive for COVID-19 around a month back, his health worsened further due to multiple organ failures. May Allah grant him Jannatul Firdaus, inshallah," he tweeted. @ahmedpatel pic.twitter.com/7bboZbQ2A6 — Faisal Patel (@mfaisalpatel) November 24, 2020 × (With inputs from agencies)

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel passes away following Covid complications

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a petition filed by the Gujarat Congress against the Election Commission's decision to hold separate byelections to two Rajya Sabha seats in the state.

The two Rajya Sabha seats fell vacant after Amit Shah and Smriti Irani were elected to the Lok Sabha. However, the top court allowed the Gujarat Congress to file an 'election plea' after the conclusion of polls to fill the two Rajya Sabha seats.

An election petition is a procedure to call into question the election results of parliamentary, Assembly or local elections.

The petition was filed by Congress MLA and Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly Pareshbhai Dhanani.&nbsp;The Election Commission had clarified that the vacancies for bypolls to all Houses, including the Rajya Sabha, are considered "separate vacancies" and separate notifications are issued and separate polls are held, though the schedule can be the same. 
 
The Congress has fielded Gaurav Pandya and Chandrika Chudasama for the two Rajya Sabha seats.

(With inputs from PTI)

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a petition filed by the Gujarat Congress against the Election Commission's decision to hold separate byelections to two Rajya Sabha seats in the state.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a petition filed by the Gujarat Congress against the Election Commission's decision to hold separate byelections to two Rajya Sabha seats in the state. The two Rajya Sabha seats fell vacant after Amit Shah and Smriti Irani were elected to the Lok Sabha. However, the top court allowed the Gujarat Congress to file an 'election plea' after the conclusion of polls to fill the two Rajya Sabha seats. An election petition is a procedure to call into question the election results of parliamentary, Assembly or local elections. The petition was filed by Congress MLA and Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly Pareshbhai Dhanani. The Election Commission had clarified that the vacancies for bypolls to all Houses, including the Rajya Sabha, are considered "separate vacancies" and separate notifications are issued and separate polls are held, though the schedule can be the same. The Congress has fielded Gaurav Pandya and Chandrika Chudasama for the two Rajya Sabha seats. (With inputs from PTI)

Supreme Court rejects Gujarat Congress's plea against EC decision to hold separate Rajya Sabha bypolls

A group of Congress workers today assembled outside the home of Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala here and shouted slogans against him following which 30 of them were detained, the police said.

They were protesting against Vala's decision to invite the BJP to form the government in Karnataka despite the saffron party's numbers being less than the combined tally of the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) in the state Assembly.

Congress city unit chief Mahesh Rajput, who led the protest outside Vala's Nutan Nagar society residence near Kalavad Road here, called the Karnataka governor's act a "blot on democracy"

"Despite being the governor of a state, Vala has acted like a BJP worker," Rajput alleged.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Harshad Mehta said, "We have detained 30 Congress workers from outside the residence of the Karnataka governor. No member of Vala's family was at home when the protest and sloganeering took place."

Protests by the Congress against Vala's decision were also held at Ahmedabad and Vadodara.&nbsp;

Congress city unit chief Mahesh Rajput, who led the protest outside Vala's Nutan Nagar society residence near Kalavad Road here, called the Karnataka governor's act a "blot on democracy"

A group of Congress workers today assembled outside the home of Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala here and shouted slogans against him following which 30 of them were detained, the police said. They were protesting against Vala's decision to invite the BJP to form the government in Karnataka despite the saffron party's numbers being less than the combined tally of the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) in the state Assembly. Congress city unit chief Mahesh Rajput, who led the protest outside Vala's Nutan Nagar society residence near Kalavad Road here, called the Karnataka governor's act a "blot on democracy" "Despite being the governor of a state, Vala has acted like a BJP worker," Rajput alleged. Deputy Commissioner of Police Harshad Mehta said, "We have detained 30 Congress workers from outside the residence of the Karnataka governor. No member of Vala's family was at home when the protest and sloganeering took place." Protests by the Congress against Vala's decision were also held at Ahmedabad and Vadodara.

Congress workers protest outside Karnataka Governor's Rajkot residence, 30 detained

Over the last few days, the discourse in the media seems to be dominated by war of words between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. At the centre of this discourse are exchanges - the verdict is still out on who-said-what - targeted at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. And poor <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/after-neech-jibe-on-pm-modi-congress-suspends-mani-shankar-aiyar-26159">Mani Shankar Aiyar</a>, now suspended from the Congress, is struggling to provide an explanation or the context to what-on-earth-prompted him to call the PM &#39;neech&#39;.

Much of the campaign in 2014 was dominated by political capital made from his &lsquo;chaiwalla&rsquo; comment, and one would have thought that Aiyar and his Congress friends would have learnt how personal attacks on Mr Modi don&rsquo;t bear fruit. Here was Rahul Gandhi, the president-elect of the Congress party, indulging the Prime Minister and his incumbent BJP - a party that has ruled Gujarat since 1995 - in a game of 10 questions - and along came the &lsquo;neech&rsquo; comment and put paid to a strategy that many say was well thought out.

My gut feeling is that this <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/why-military-intelligence-from-pakistan-suggesting-ahmed-patel-for-gujarat-cm-pm-modi-26364">&lsquo;tu-tu-main-main&rsquo;</a> will not impact the outcome greatly. Media often plays to political rhetoric and, sitting in Delhi, the two principal political parties trading barbs seems to be a good way to cover the goings-on in Gujarat. On the&nbsp;ground, these may not be reflective of the concerns of Maqsud bhai and Mansukh bhai. The people of Gujarat have made up their mind and they have real issues - unemployment and the impact of GST and demonetisation seem to be the pervading themes. The rehtoric will not sway how they vote.

Too much should not be read into the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-live-first-phase-of-polling-begins-26288">poll percentage</a> - 68% - down from last elections 72% but still a healthy turnout. 89 of the 182 constituencies have voted and the fates of 977 candidates are already sealed in EVMs. While many pollsters have predicted a decline in fortunes for the BJP in the areas of south Gujarat and Saurashtra that have polled, these are comparisons to the wildly successful Lok Sabha campaign of 2014. Extrapolate those and the BJP won in 85 of the 89 seats that voted in the first phase. A more realistic comparison would be the 2012 assembly elections where the party won 63 of these 89 seats. An encore would not only see the BJP to a comfortable majority but would also do away with all the anti-incumbency talk. Sure, the BJP&rsquo;s claims of winning 150 seats in Gujarat could have been born out of political chest-thumping and bravado, but getting almost a two-thirds majority in a state that they&rsquo;ve ruled for 22 years is definitely creditable.

The Hardik Patel Factor

The Congress is not dictating the discourse in this campaign - what it has successfully managed to do is piggy-back on certain situations and ride a wave. The question that pundits don&rsquo;t seem to agree upon is how the Hardik Patel factor will affect the BJP&rsquo;s fortunes, but what is there in plain sight for everyone to see is that Hardik has done all the heavy-lifting for the Congress. There is no denying the fact that there has been resentment is many sections of Gujarat&rsquo;s population over demonetisation and GST - both measures hit business hard. But this resentment may have been overestimated - on my trip to the state a month ago, the common refrain I heard talking to both members of the Patidaar (Patel) community and traders was &lsquo;gussa hain, gaddar nahi&rsquo; (we&rsquo;re angry but we aren&rsquo;t traitors).

With all eyes on the second phase, the Hardik Patel-factor may play a role in North Gujarat but will hardly influence voters in the central parts of the state where there are 61 seats. It is here that the BJP could offset some losses from other regions. The overbearing Paatidar campaign against the party could also consolidate backward caste votes in its favour.

With the Prime Minister fervently on the campaign trail and responding to the barbs against him, the spotlight has shifted to emotive issues and optics - and even the Congress president-elect seems to be falling prey to these - the &lsquo;janeudhari brahman&rsquo; is now seen at temples.

People in 93 constituencies will cast their votes on Thursday, December 14. And put to rest this debate on temple visits, oonch-neech and what-have-you. Meanwhile, did anyone <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-will-score-a-historic-win-ravi-shankar-prasad-26287">miss the manifestos</a> this time? Just in case you did - the Congress released theirs on December 4 and the BJP on the eve of polling. In Gujarat, it seems, polls don&rsquo;t even need manifestos - the lip-service paid by both the principal parties certainly suggests that.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity)

Gujarat elections are about what the people want, not what politicians prattle over.

Over the last few days, the discourse in the media seems to be dominated by war of words between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. At the centre of this discourse are exchanges - the verdict is still out on who-said-what - targeted at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. And poor Mani Shankar Aiyar, now suspended from the Congress, is struggling to provide an explanation or the context to what-on-earth-prompted him to call the PM 'neech'. Much of the campaign in 2014 was dominated by political capital made from his ‘chaiwalla’ comment, and one would have thought that Aiyar and his Congress friends would have learnt how personal attacks on Mr Modi don’t bear fruit. Here was Rahul Gandhi, the president-elect of the Congress party, indulging the Prime Minister and his incumbent BJP - a party that has ruled Gujarat since 1995 - in a game of 10 questions - and along came the ‘neech’ comment and put paid to a strategy that many say was well thought out. My gut feeling is that this ‘tu-tu-main-main’ will not impact the outcome greatly. Media often plays to political rhetoric and, sitting in Delhi, the two principal political parties trading barbs seems to be a good way to cover the goings-on in Gujarat. On the ground, these may not be reflective of the concerns of Maqsud bhai and Mansukh bhai. The people of Gujarat have made up their mind and they have real issues - unemployment and the impact of GST and demonetisation seem to be the pervading themes. The rehtoric will not sway how they vote. Too much should not be read into the poll percentage - 68% - down from last elections 72% but still a healthy turnout. 89 of the 182 constituencies have voted and the fates of 977 candidates are already sealed in EVMs. While many pollsters have predicted a decline in fortunes for the BJP in the areas of south Gujarat and Saurashtra that have polled, these are comparisons to the wildly successful Lok Sabha campaign of 2014. Extrapolate those and the BJP won in 85 of the 89 seats that voted in the first phase. A more realistic comparison would be the 2012 assembly elections where the party won 63 of these 89 seats. An encore would not only see the BJP to a comfortable majority but would also do away with all the anti-incumbency talk. Sure, the BJP’s claims of winning 150 seats in Gujarat could have been born out of political chest-thumping and bravado, but getting almost a two-thirds majority in a state that they’ve ruled for 22 years is definitely creditable. The Hardik Patel Factor The Congress is not dictating the discourse in this campaign - what it has successfully managed to do is piggy-back on certain situations and ride a wave. The question that pundits don’t seem to agree upon is how the Hardik Patel factor will affect the BJP’s fortunes, but what is there in plain sight for everyone to see is that Hardik has done all the heavy-lifting for the Congress. There is no denying the fact that there has been resentment is many sections of Gujarat’s population over demonetisation and GST - both measures hit business hard. But this resentment may have been overestimated - on my trip to the state a month ago, the common refrain I heard talking to both members of the Patidaar (Patel) community and traders was ‘gussa hain, gaddar nahi’ (we’re angry but we aren’t traitors). With all eyes on the second phase, the Hardik Patel-factor may play a role in North Gujarat but will hardly influence voters in the central parts of the state where there are 61 seats. It is here that the BJP could offset some losses from other regions. The overbearing Paatidar campaign against the party could also consolidate backward caste votes in its favour. With the Prime Minister fervently on the campaign trail and responding to the barbs against him, the spotlight has shifted to emotive issues and optics - and even the Congress president-elect seems to be falling prey to these - the ‘janeudhari brahman’ is now seen at temples. People in 93 constituencies will cast their votes on Thursday, December 14. And put to rest this debate on temple visits, oonch-neech and what-have-you. Meanwhile, did anyone miss the manifestos this time? Just in case you did - the Congress released theirs on December 4 and the BJP on the eve of polling. In Gujarat, it seems, polls don’t even need manifestos - the lip-service paid by both the principal parties certainly suggests that. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity)

Opinion: BJP remains buoyant in Gujarat, Congress rides a wave, Hardik Patel does some heavy lifting

The Congress and the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) on Sunday seemed to have reached an agreement over the issue of seat sharing and reservations for the Patidar community in Gujarat ahead of the assembly elections in the state.

After meeting PAAS leaders in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Bharat Singh Solanki said the two parties had reached an agreement after the deadlock in the last meeting.

&quot;In the last meeting where talks had got stuck, on those matters we have reached an agreement and a consensus,&quot; the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee President said, adding that the PASS leaders had not asked for any ticket.

&quot;PAAS has not asked for any ticket. Neither Alpesh Thakur nor Jignesh Mevani have asked for tickets.&quot;

PAAS spokesperson Dinesh Bambhaniya said his party&#39;s &quot;first and last concern&quot; was reservation and that Hardik Patel would make an announcement tomorrow.

PAAS is demanding tickets in Patidar dominated areas in Ahmedabad, north Gujarat and Saurashtra.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/conflict-arises-between-patidar-and-congress-over-ticket-distribution-24557">Media reports had earlier stated that differences between the Congress and PAAS over seat sharing</a> were because the Congress was not ready to yield to the demands of Hardik Patel to part with 30 seats. The party was reportedly convincing the group to settle for a lesser number of seats.

The Congress had earlier assured adequate political representation to the Patidars. However, it changed its mind after the alleged sex CD of Hardik Patel surfaced.

Representatives from the two parties reportedly met on Friday to discuss ticket sharing and the quota issue.&nbsp;

On Friday, PAAS leaders had given a<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hardik-patel-group-sets-quota-deadline-for-congress-24533"> 24-hour deadline to the Congress for a final decision on reservations</a>. The deadline ended at midnight Saturday.

The last date for filing nominations for the first phase of the Gujarat assembly elections is November 21.

The Congress has been trying to win over the Patidar community ahead of the assembly elections in the state.

Last month, two of Hardik Patel&#39;s close aides from the Patidar community, Reshma Patel and Varun Patel, joined the BJP.

Hardik Patel poses a challenge to the ruling BJP as he holds a sway over a chunk of Patidars, considered as loyal voters of the party.

The Congress had earlier invited Hardik Patel to contest elections in state&#39;s assembly elections. Hardik said that it was not a BJP-Congress election but said &quot; we must unite against BJP&quot;. 
&nbsp;

After meeting PAAS leaders in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee President Bharat Singh Solanki said the two parties had reached an agreement after the deadlock in the last meeting

The Congress and the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) on Sunday seemed to have reached an agreement over the issue of seat sharing and reservations for the Patidar community in Gujarat ahead of the assembly elections in the state. After meeting PAAS leaders in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Bharat Singh Solanki said the two parties had reached an agreement after the deadlock in the last meeting. "In the last meeting where talks had got stuck, on those matters we have reached an agreement and a consensus," the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee President said, adding that the PASS leaders had not asked for any ticket. "PAAS has not asked for any ticket. Neither Alpesh Thakur nor Jignesh Mevani have asked for tickets." PAAS spokesperson Dinesh Bambhaniya said his party's "first and last concern" was reservation and that Hardik Patel would make an announcement tomorrow. PAAS is demanding tickets in Patidar dominated areas in Ahmedabad, north Gujarat and Saurashtra. Media reports had earlier stated that differences between the Congress and PAAS over seat sharing were because the Congress was not ready to yield to the demands of Hardik Patel to part with 30 seats. The party was reportedly convincing the group to settle for a lesser number of seats. The Congress had earlier assured adequate political representation to the Patidars. However, it changed its mind after the alleged sex CD of Hardik Patel surfaced. Representatives from the two parties reportedly met on Friday to discuss ticket sharing and the quota issue. On Friday, PAAS leaders had given a 24-hour deadline to the Congress for a final decision on reservations. The deadline ended at midnight Saturday. The last date for filing nominations for the first phase of the Gujarat assembly elections is November 21. The Congress has been trying to win over the Patidar community ahead of the assembly elections in the state. Last month, two of Hardik Patel's close aides from the Patidar community, Reshma Patel and Varun Patel, joined the BJP. Hardik Patel poses a challenge to the ruling BJP as he holds a sway over a chunk of Patidars, considered as loyal voters of the party. The Congress had earlier invited Hardik Patel to contest elections in state's assembly elections. Hardik said that it was not a BJP-Congress election but said " we must unite against BJP".

Reached agreement with PAAS for Gujarat polls: Congress

The Supreme Court has refused to stay the use of the NOTA (none of the above) option in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat.&nbsp;

The Congress had moved the SC asking for the option to be withdrawn.&nbsp;

&quot;Why are you so late in raising the question as EC issued notification in Jan 2014?&quot; ANI reported the Supreme Court as asking the Congress.&nbsp;

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Supreme Court refuses to stay plea on NOTA option; upcoming Gujarat Rajya Sabha polls to be held with NOTA.
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The Congress has been rattled by a flurry of resignations from its MLAs.

Six Gujarat MLAs have already left the party, with three of them joining the BJP.

Aore MLAs leaving the party will dent the Congress&#39; Ahmed Patel&#39;s chances in the August 8 elections.&nbsp;

To prevent any more defections, the Congress has coralled its Gujarat MLAs in a resort in Bengaluru.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/i-t-dept-raids-bengaluru-resort-where-gujarat-cong-mlas-are-holed-up-18478" target="_blank">Also read: IT raids on Bengaluru resort where Gujarat Congress MLAs are holed up</a>

BJP President Amit Shah and information and broadcasting minister Smirit&nbsp;Irani are also fighting the elections.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

'Why are you so late in raising the question as EC issued notification in Jan 2014?' ANI reported the Supreme Court as asking the Gujarat Congress

The Supreme Court has refused to stay the use of the NOTA (none of the above) option in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat. The Congress had moved the SC asking for the option to be withdrawn. "Why are you so late in raising the question as EC issued notification in Jan 2014?" ANI reported the Supreme Court as asking the Congress. Supreme Court refuses to stay plea on NOTA option; upcoming Gujarat Rajya Sabha polls to be held with NOTA. — ANI (@ANI_news) August 3, 2017 × Use of NOTA option in RS polls- SC asks Gujarat Congress: why are you so late in raising the question as EC issued notification in Jan 2014? — ANI (@ANI_news) August 3, 2017 × The Congress has been rattled by a flurry of resignations from its MLAs. Six Gujarat MLAs have already left the party, with three of them joining the BJP. Aore MLAs leaving the party will dent the Congress' Ahmed Patel's chances in the August 8 elections. To prevent any more defections, the Congress has coralled its Gujarat MLAs in a resort in Bengaluru. Also read: IT raids on Bengaluru resort where Gujarat Congress MLAs are holed up BJP President Amit Shah and information and broadcasting minister Smirit Irani are also fighting the elections.

Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections to go ahead with NOTA option: SC

The Congress, which is battling an exodus of Gujarat lawmakers into the BJP, said on Monday that it was confident of its Gujarat Rajya Sabha candidate Ahmed Patel&#39;s victory in the Rajya Sabha elections, claiming that the senior Congress leader had the support of more legislators than required for victory.

Even as he accused the BJP of &quot;stealing&quot; its MLAs under a &quot;premeditated plan&quot;, senior Congress spokesperson Ghulam Nabi Azad said he was confident Ahmed Patel would win by a margin of 10-15 votes.

&quot;Ahmed bhai will win by a margin of at least 10 to 15 votes. Our candidate had 13-14 votes surplus and the BJP says they do not steal. Why has the BJP fielded its third candidate for the polls when it does not have the requisite number of MLAs in support. It is only to steal our MLAs,&quot; he said. &quot;This is a pre-meditated plan to steal MLAs.&quot;

He said the BJP was &quot;plotting&quot; to steal Congress MLAs from the airport itself.

&quot;The BJP is creating an atmosphere against them. They (BJP) are saying our MLAs are in Bengaluru when people are suffering because of floods. The BJP wants to exploit the situation so that when they return it could steal some of them and make a few others resign,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Ghulam Nabi Azad also clarified that Ahmed Patel was contesting the Rajya Sabha election as a senior Congress leader and not as political secretary to party chief Sonia Gandhi and thus, her name should not be dragged into this poll.

&quot;I don&#39;t want to involve the name of the Congress president. He is contesting as the senior Congress leader and not as political secretary,&quot; the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said.

He claimed Congress leaders and workers were on the ground, from block to district level, helping flood-hit people.

Congress sources also told PTI that Ahmed Patel had also offered his Rajya Sabha seat to Sankarsingh Vaghela before he quit the party.

Congress sources said Ahmed Patel was reluctant to fight the election but agreed after he was requested by the party. 
 
The Congress had 57 MLAs in the 182-member Assembly. Of these, six have quit since Thursday, bring down its strength to 51.&nbsp;

Ahmed Patel requires 44 first preference votes for a straight win which seems easy to procure at the moment.

More desertions could, however, jeopardise his chances of getting elected to the Upper House for the fifth time. He also has the assured support of two MLAs of the NCP and one of the JD(U).

The BJP has fielded is chief Amit Shah and renominated federal minister Smriti Irani for two seats. It has fielded Balwantsinh Rajput for the third which is held by Patel.

Ahmed Patel filed his nominations for the August 8 polls on July 26.

Panic broke out in the Congress after Vaghela quit the party. Vaghela&#39;s exit was also preceded by cross-voting in BJP-majority Gujarat Assembly during the Presidential elections.

Vaghela claimed he would not join any other political party.

&quot;I am freeing myself of the Congress and every other party. I am not going to join any political party. I will quit as Leader of Opposition today. I will quit as MLA in the next sitting,&quot; he told supporters at his 77th birthday celebrations in Gandhinagar.

Alarmed by the resignation of six of its legislators in Gujarat, the Congress on Saturday approached the Election Commission and demanded a high-level probe into alleged poaching of MLAs by the BJP.

The party flew 44 of its remaining 51 MLAs in the state to Bengaluru.

The Congress accuses the&nbsp;BJP is using &quot;money, muscle and state power&quot; to engineer defections.

The Congress claimed Gujarat Rajya Sabha candidate Ahmed Patel will still win as he has the support of more MLAs than required

The Congress, which is battling an exodus of Gujarat lawmakers into the BJP, said on Monday that it was confident of its Gujarat Rajya Sabha candidate Ahmed Patel's victory in the Rajya Sabha elections, claiming that the senior Congress leader had the support of more legislators than required for victory. Even as he accused the BJP of "stealing" its MLAs under a "premeditated plan", senior Congress spokesperson Ghulam Nabi Azad said he was confident Ahmed Patel would win by a margin of 10-15 votes. "Ahmed bhai will win by a margin of at least 10 to 15 votes. Our candidate had 13-14 votes surplus and the BJP says they do not steal. Why has the BJP fielded its third candidate for the polls when it does not have the requisite number of MLAs in support. It is only to steal our MLAs," he said. "This is a pre-meditated plan to steal MLAs." He said the BJP was "plotting" to steal Congress MLAs from the airport itself. "The BJP is creating an atmosphere against them. They (BJP) are saying our MLAs are in Bengaluru when people are suffering because of floods. The BJP wants to exploit the situation so that when they return it could steal some of them and make a few others resign," he said. Ghulam Nabi Azad also clarified that Ahmed Patel was contesting the Rajya Sabha election as a senior Congress leader and not as political secretary to party chief Sonia Gandhi and thus, her name should not be dragged into this poll. "I don't want to involve the name of the Congress president. He is contesting as the senior Congress leader and not as political secretary," the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said. He claimed Congress leaders and workers were on the ground, from block to district level, helping flood-hit people. Congress sources also told PTI that Ahmed Patel had also offered his Rajya Sabha seat to Sankarsingh Vaghela before he quit the party. Congress sources said Ahmed Patel was reluctant to fight the election but agreed after he was requested by the party. The Congress had 57 MLAs in the 182-member Assembly. Of these, six have quit since Thursday, bring down its strength to 51. Ahmed Patel requires 44 first preference votes for a straight win which seems easy to procure at the moment. More desertions could, however, jeopardise his chances of getting elected to the Upper House for the fifth time. He also has the assured support of two MLAs of the NCP and one of the JD(U). The BJP has fielded is chief Amit Shah and renominated federal minister Smriti Irani for two seats. It has fielded Balwantsinh Rajput for the third which is held by Patel. Ahmed Patel filed his nominations for the August 8 polls on July 26. Panic broke out in the Congress after Vaghela quit the party. Vaghela's exit was also preceded by cross-voting in BJP-majority Gujarat Assembly during the Presidential elections. Vaghela claimed he would not join any other political party. "I am freeing myself of the Congress and every other party. I am not going to join any political party. I will quit as Leader of Opposition today. I will quit as MLA in the next sitting," he told supporters at his 77th birthday celebrations in Gandhinagar. Alarmed by the resignation of six of its legislators in Gujarat, the Congress on Saturday approached the Election Commission and demanded a high-level probe into alleged poaching of MLAs by the BJP. The party flew 44 of its remaining 51 MLAs in the state to Bengaluru. The Congress accuses the BJP is using "money, muscle and state power" to engineer defections.

Rajya Sabha polls: Congress confident of Ahmed Patel's Gujarat seat

Gujarat leader Shankersinh Vaghela today declared that he was expelled from Congress 24 hours ago even as speculation was&nbsp;rife that the veteran Gujarat leader who turned 77 today&nbsp;might be leaving the&nbsp;Congress party.&nbsp;

Vaghela during his&nbsp;birthday celebrations at Gandhinagar said: &quot;I was expelled from Congress 24 hours ago because the party did not know what I would be saying.&quot;&nbsp;

The Gujarat leader said that he won&#39;t be rejoining the BJP.

Earlier reports said&nbsp;Vaghela&nbsp;would make an important announcement at his birthday celebrations and share his &quot;feelings&quot; with his supporters.

The ex-Congress veteran -- who was also the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly -- has apparently been sulking because he was&nbsp;not given a free hand in his Congress party&#39;s campaign for the upcoming December state Assembly elections.

Vaghela had said last month: &quot;If the party wishes to concede defeat even before the fight has begun, I would not commit suicide with it.&quot;

Meanwhile, Zee News reported the Congress&#39;s Gujarat state unit had&nbsp;issued&nbsp;Vaghela a warning that he not &quot;play any politics&quot;.

To which, ANI reported him as replying: &quot;Whoever wants to come can come and whoever does not, should not. A party has the right to stop its workers and workers have the right to decide what they want to do. They are not bonded labourers.&quot;

Vaghela, who used to be with the Bharatiya Janata Party, snapped ties with the party in the late nineties.&nbsp;

He set up his own party which then merged with the Congress.

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Gujarat: Senior Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela at his 77th birthday celebration event in Gandhinagar <a href="https://t.co/Lk1JJ7LzzX">pic.twitter.com/Lk1JJ7LzzX</a>
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Vaghela is leader of the Opposition in the state assembly

Gujarat leader Shankersinh Vaghela today declared that he was expelled from Congress 24 hours ago even as speculation was rife that the veteran Gujarat leader who turned 77 today might be leaving the Congress party. Vaghela during his birthday celebrations at Gandhinagar said: "I was expelled from Congress 24 hours ago because the party did not know what I would be saying." The Gujarat leader said that he won't be rejoining the BJP. Earlier reports said Vaghela would make an important announcement at his birthday celebrations and share his "feelings" with his supporters. The ex-Congress veteran -- who was also the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly -- has apparently been sulking because he was not given a free hand in his Congress party's campaign for the upcoming December state Assembly elections. Vaghela had said last month: "If the party wishes to concede defeat even before the fight has begun, I would not commit suicide with it." Meanwhile, Zee News reported the Congress's Gujarat state unit had issued Vaghela a warning that he not "play any politics". To which, ANI reported him as replying: "Whoever wants to come can come and whoever does not, should not. A party has the right to stop its workers and workers have the right to decide what they want to do. They are not bonded labourers." Vaghela, who used to be with the Bharatiya Janata Party, snapped ties with the party in the late nineties. He set up his own party which then merged with the Congress. Gujarat: Senior Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela at his 77th birthday celebration event in Gandhinagar pic.twitter.com/Lk1JJ7LzzX — ANI (@ANI_news) July 21, 2017 ×

I was expelled from Congress 24 hours ago, says Shankersinh Vaghela