The Congress on Friday accused the BJP of horse-trading in Gujarat and using “money, muscle and state power” to engineer defections ahead of the crucial Rajya Sabha polls. Stating that the party is keeping all options open, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi warned the MlAs of serious consequences of anti-defection law that can lead to disqualification from contesting elections up to six years.
Singhvi recalled court judgements that termed defections a constitutional sin and unprincipled defections a social evil. “Crores of rupees have been spent in horse-trading in Gujarat by the BJP. You have seen this naked drama.... The policy of the BJP in Gujarat is - by hook or by crook, come to power by breaking all laws,” he said at AICC briefing.
The comments come after six Congress MlAs quit the party ahead of the crucial Rajya Sabha elections for three seats that may alter the result. The party had 57 MlAs in the 182- member Assembly. While BJP President Amit Shah and Union Minister Smriti Irani have been fielded by the BJP, the Congress has again fielded Ahmed Patel, the political secretary of Sonia Gandhi, for the third seat and the defections may have a bearing on the election for this seat.
Singhvi said, “The anti-defection law is supreme and repeatedly the Supreme Court has called defections a constitutional sin.”