Congress Leader & Sonia Gandhi's advisor Ahmed Patel managed to emerge victorious in Gujarat Rajya Sabha Polls though BJP Leadership conspired to defeat him.
In the 182 Member Assembly, BJP and Congress have 121 MLAs & 51 MLAs respectively. While BJP have the possibility of winning 2 out 3 Rajya Sabha seats, Congress should settle with 1 seat. Weeks ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls, BJP lured few Congress MLAs to ensure Ahmed Patel doesn't win the Election. Hence, Congress shifted 44 MLAs to a star hotel in Karnataka.
Each Contestant has to have the support of 45 MLAs to get elected to Rajya Sabha. BJP Candidates Amit Shah and Smriti Irani won election convincingly with 46 votes each. BJP assumed cross voting will fetch them the 3rd Rajya Sabha Seat as well.
Ahmed Patel need 44 votes after Election Commission reduced the strength of the house to 174 from 182. Congress reported to EC that two of its MLAs had shown to BJP Polling Agents the ballot papers to whom they voted. Then, Arun Jaitley and Nirmala Sitharaman went to EC office to share their version. Finally, EC disapproved those two votes for violating norms. Ahmed Patel managed to get exactly 44 votes as JD (U) and NCP MLAs voted in his favour. This development is being seen as a big victory to Congress and a defeat to Modi after a long time.
In the 182 Member Assembly, BJP and Congress have 121 MLAs & 51 MLAs respectively. While BJP have the possibility of winning 2 out 3 Rajya Sabha seats, Congress should settle with 1 seat. Weeks ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls, BJP lured few Congress MLAs to ensure Ahmed Patel doesn't win the Election. Hence, Congress shifted 44 MLAs to a star hotel in Karnataka.
Each Contestant has to have the support of 45 MLAs to get elected to Rajya Sabha. BJP Candidates Amit Shah and Smriti Irani won election convincingly with 46 votes each. BJP assumed cross voting will fetch them the 3rd Rajya Sabha Seat as well.
Ahmed Patel need 44 votes after Election Commission reduced the strength of the house to 174 from 182. Congress reported to EC that two of its MLAs had shown to BJP Polling Agents the ballot papers to whom they voted. Then, Arun Jaitley and Nirmala Sitharaman went to EC office to share their version. Finally, EC disapproved those two votes for violating norms. Ahmed Patel managed to get exactly 44 votes as JD (U) and NCP MLAs voted in his favour. This development is being seen as a big victory to Congress and a defeat to Modi after a long time.