Former Gujarat Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela’s resignation from the Congress coupled with cross voting by 11 MlAs from the Opposition in the recently concluded presidential polls has created uncertainty over retaining Rajya Sabha seat of All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Sonia Gandhi’s political advisor Ahmed Patel.
Elections of three Rajya Sabha seats including that of Patel’s are slated on August 8. In order to retain the seat, the Congress would require 48 preference votes. In any case, the ruling BJP would easily retain two seats going by its strength in the Gujarat Assembly.
Against the ruling BJP’s 122 MlAs, the Congress is having strength of 57 in the State Assembly having capacity of 182. NCP and JD(U) have two and one legislators respectively. Considering the cross-voting factor, 11 MlAs believed to be Vaghela’s staunch supporters cast their vote in favour of BJP’s presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind. It means the Congress candidate would get only 46 votes from within the party and it will have to take support of three MlAs from other parties – NCP and JD.
Tenure of three Rajya Sabha members – Smriti Irani, Dilip Pandya (both BJP) as well as Patel is ending on August 18. If sources have to be believed, Irani would be repeated by the ruling party and Pandya to be replaced by some other candidate. In the case of Patel, Congress leader are reviewing the situation arise following the resignation of its senior leader Vaghela from the party.
‘’Naturally if the party high-command would feel that Ahmedbhai’s seat in danger, he might not contest and instead some other candidate would file the nomination. As of now if we considered vote of BJP MlA Nalin Kotadia, who voted for Meira Kumar in the presidential polls, the Congress party would need only a single vote from either NCP or JD (U). With this equation we are hoping to hold the seat,’’ said a senior Congress leader requesting anonymity.
According to him, of the 181 votes cast by MlAs of Gujarat out of 182, UPA candidate Kumar got 49 votes even after cross-voting by some MlAs from the Congress party which is one vote more than the minimum requirement of 48 preference votes.
Going by the reputation of 77-year-old Vaghela and his political acumen there would be more than 11 MlAs who sitting on the fence and must be waiting for their leader’s command to quit Congress. leaders in Gujarat Congress also know the fact very well and hence they are waiting for more political upheaval by the veteran politician.