Day before RS polls, Gujarat Congress MLAs huddled in resort to avoid horse trading

A day before voting for Rajya Sabha elections for two seats in Gujarat, Congress has shifted its legislators to a resort on Thursday in Palanpur area in Banaskatha district of the state to avoid horse trading.

Banaskatha (Gujarat) [India], July 4 : A day before voting for Rajya Sabha elections for two seats in Gujarat, Congress has shifted its legislators to a resort on Thursday in Palanpur area in Banaskatha district of the state to avoid horse trading.

Speaking to , senior state party leader Arjun Modhwadia said: "Yes, we are here to avoid horse trading and for the political training of our MLAs."

As many as 69 Congress MLAs from the state have been shifted to Balaram resort which is 150 kilometres away from Ahmedabad.

The party had earlier planned to shift the legislators in Mount Abu hill station in Rajasthan but the plan was changed at the last moment.

Expressing worries out possible horse trading efforts by the ruling BJP, the Congress leader attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah for promoting the malpractice in their "political laboratory".

"Gujarat is a political laboratory of Amit Shah and Narendra Modi. Most incidents of horse-trading are reported here. They have done it two times in the past. Many money bags were found earlier and there is a possibility of it happening this time too," he said.

Voting for Rajya Sabha will take place on Friday for the two seats that are laid vacant after the election of Smriti Ir and Amit Shah to Lok Sabha in recent polls.

The MLAs will be casting their votes at Vidhan Sabha for the two seats of the upper House of Parliament.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and OBC leader Jugalji Thakur have been fielded by the BJP; while Congress' Chandrika Chudasama and Gaurav Pandya are hoping to win the seats.

( With inputs from ANI )