More trouble for Congress in Gujarat as 2 MLAs indicate wish to join BJP

New Delhi: A day after the Congress tried to secure its 44 Gujarat MLAs by shifting them to a luxurious resort in Karnataka, two more MLAs indicated their wish to ditch the party in favour of the BJP.

If they do quit, soon after the party has lost eight MLAs, the chances of the senior party leader Ahmed Patel getting elected for a fifth Rajya Sabha term from Gujarat will be in jeopardy.

The two Congress MLAs — Raghavjee Patel from Jamnagar Rural and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja from Jamnagar North — have spoken openly about their disillusionment with the party and are in touch with the BJP’s top leadership. Mr Patel, political secretary to the Congress president, is pitted against former Congress MLA and now BJP candidate, Balwantsinh Rajput.

While the BJP candidates for Rajya Sabha polls — party president Amit Shah and Union minister Smriti Irani — are expected to sail through, Mr Patel needs the vote of 43 MLAs.