Cong to shift MLAs to B’luru to thwart poaching bid

Bhopal/Jaipur/Gandhinagar: Rajya Sabha elections took sharply different turns across three BJP-governed states Monday, with Madhya Pradesh hurtling into a high-stakes numbers battle after BJP sprang a surprise third candidate, while Rajasthan and Gujarat cruised towards unopposed outcomes.

That prospect has put Congress on red alert. Congress sources said party high command has decided to shift its MLAs to Bengaluru Tuesday to foil any poaching attempt.

In MP, Congress nominee Meenakshi Natarajan and BJP’s Mahesh Kewat filed nominations, setting up a contest rich in intrigue, arithmetic and allegations before June 18 polling. Congress functionaries closed ranks around Natarajan, while BJP doubled down on its claim that it would sweep all three seats despite lacking enough votes on its own for a clean third victory.

“They speak of women’s empowerment, but they have fielded a candidate against our woman nominee despite lacking 8-10 MLAs. They will try to influence MLAs by any means. This is an attempt to crush democracy,” MP Congress chief Jitu Patwari alleged.

BJP, with 164 MLAs in 230-member assembly, is comfortably placed to bag two seats. A candidate needs 58 votes to win, leaving Kewat dependent on surplus votes, cross-voting or abstentions.

Former state Congress chief Kantilal Bhuria alleged BJP was offering MLAs Rs 5 crore to Rs 10 crore each to back its candidate, a charge BJP has denied.

Rajasthan, by contrast, saw suspense evaporate. Only three candidates filed nominations for three vacancies, clearing path for an uncontested election. BJP fielded former state president Satish Poonia and Alka Gurjar, while Congress re-nominated sitting MP Neeraj Dangi. Unless scrutiny throws up surprises, all three will be declared elected after nominations are vetted.

Gujarat offered an even clearer picture. All four BJP nominees — Raju Shukla, Mansinh Parmar, Mukesh Rathwa and Jitendra Kanjariya — filed papers in Gandhinagar and are headed to unopposed victories after Congress stayed out of race.

BJP holds 161 seats in the 182-member assembly, making the outcome a foregone conclusion. Once elected, all four will replace outgoing BJP MPs Ram Mokariya, Narhari Amin and Ramila Bara, and Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil. Congress, short of numbers, will be left without a Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat.