The BJP on Thursday nominated Balawantsinh Rajput, a staunch supporter of Shankersinh Vaghela, for the third Rajya Sabha seat from Gujarat. Rajput was among the three Congress MlAs who resigned from the Congress and the State Assembly on Thursday. He and Congress general secretary Ahmed Patel will be locked in a keen contest for the third seat.
BJP president Amit Shah and Textile Minister Smriti Irani face no contest for the first two seats.
The cross-voting by at least eight Congress MlAs in the presidential poll last week has already made the Congress jittery.
Rajput, the Congress’ chief whip in the State Assembly, Tejashree Patel and PI Patel, who quit the party, are believed to be staunch supporters of Vaghela.
The veteran Congress leader resigned from the party as well as from the post of leader of Opposition on his birthday on July 21.
Rajput was elected from Siddhpur Assembly constituency in North Gujarat. His son is married to Vaghela’s granddaughter. After resigning as legislator, he said that he had been associated with the Congress party for three and half decades but for the last few months he was disappointed with the party’s leadership as he was seen with doubts just because he is a relative of Vaghela. He, however, admitted that he would like to serve his voters in future also irrespective of party line.
According to a senior Congress leader, Rajput’s resignation was expected but decision of other two, Viramgam MlA Tejashree Patel and Vijapur MlA PI Patel came as surprise to him and many in the party.
Congress leaders are keeping their fingers crossed over Patel’s victory as MlAs of Janata Dal (United) may, in the changed situations, not go his way. Nationalist Congress Party has backed Patel’s nomination.
Replying to the possibility of cross-voting by party members, Patel said, “(We are) looking into it. When party has asked me, whether there is a risk or not, I will contest. Never thought of contesting from other States.”
The Congress has 57 MlAs in the 182-member Assembly and it needs 45 votes to win one Rajya Sabha seat. However, cross-voting could alter the equation against him.