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Ahead of RS poll-day, jittery Congress fights to keep its stock together in Gujarat

Published

9 years ago

August 7, 2017

Ahead of RS poll-day, jittery Congress fights to keep its stock together in Gujarat

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Hit by defections, the Congress brought back its 44 MLAs from Bengaluru on Monday, only to lock them up again at a resort in Anand. The party claims that it has assured support of 45 MLAs required to ensure the politically crucial victory of its candidate, Ahmed Patel, in Tuesday’s RS poll

With less than 24 hours to go before the Gujarat assembly casts its votes to send three nominees to the Rajya Sabha, the Congress party is doing all it can to ensure that its nominee, Ahmed Patel – the influential political secretary to party president Sonia Gandhi – doesn’t fail to get elected for a record fifth term.

Hit by defections and desertions by its MLAs – six of its 57 legislators have resigned of which three joined the BJP – less than a fortnight ago, the Congress party had packed off 44 of its MLAs to a resort in Bengaluru on July 29 in an apparent bid to check “poaching” attempts by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The MLAs were brought back to Ahmedabad in the wee hours of Monday but only to be whisked away to another resort in nearby Anand, where they are expected to be kept till hours before voting begins for the Rajya Sabha polls, on Tuesday morning.

“All our MLAs have returned and they have been taken to a resort in Anand,” the Congress party’s chief whip in Gujarat assembly, Sailesh Parmar, confirmed. Parmar added that the party MLAs had “decided not to go to their home even on this day of ‘Rakshabandhan’ and be loyal soldiers of the Congress party… they will go to vote for our party candidate Ahmed Patel in the RS polls tomorrow”.

The Congress needs the support of at least 45 MLAs to ensure that Patel – a four term RS member – is re-elected. However, the very fact that of its 51 MLAs that remain since the resignations of senior leader Shankersinh Vaghela and five others, the party has managed to keep just 44 camped together betrays the confidence that the Congress leadership has been desperately trying to project over Patel’s re-election.

Besides the BJP’s aggressive overtures to ensure Patel’s defeat – which would come as a personal embarrassment for Sonia Gandhi – by forcing further resignations from the Congress’ flock, the Grand Old Party had got another major setback last week when the Supreme Court dismissed its request to stay an order by the Election Commission which allows MLAs to not vote against any candidate and opt for the ‘None Of The Above (NOTA)’option instead.

A senior Congress leader said on condition of anonymity: “this election undoubtedly will be the biggest challenge not just for Ahmed Patel but for the Congress high command too…Even assuming that the 44 MLAs who are locked up in the resort (in Anand) will all vote for Patel, we still need one more vote to ensure his victory. But as of now there’s no guarantee that even the 44 will certainly vote for Patel and the 7 remaining legislators too can’t be entirely trusted to do so despite the party issuing a whip ordering every remaining MLA to vote of its candidate”.

Officially of course, the Congress claims to have the numbers to ensure Patel’s victory. “All our MLAs will vote for Ahmed Patel…we have no doubt that we have the numbers and the BJP doesn’t to wrest this one seat from us,” said senior party MLA Shaktisinh Gohil.

However, there are rumours that the BJP and Vaghela – who is said to have influenced at least 10 Congress MLAs to cross-vote in favour of Ram Nath Kovind instead of the party candidate Meira Kumar, in the recent Presidential polls – are working overtime to convince some Congress legislators to either cross-vote (which would, under the RS polls rules, lead to their disqualification from the house for a six year term) or vote NOTA.

The stay of the Gujarat MLAs in the Eagleton Golf Resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru was itself marked by high drama. Senior Karnataka minister DK Shivakumar, who was overseeing the MLAs’ stay, faced searches by the income tax department last week in what the Congress called an act of “political vendetta and intimidation”. Now, hours ahead of the D-Day, the Congress is hoping that the BJP’s “dirty tricks department” doesn’t pull any other surprise on its leaders.

Gujarat has three seats in Rajya Sabha. While BJP president Amit Shah and Union minister Smriti Irani would easily win two seats, it is in the third seat that the BJP has pitted Congress defector Balwantsinh Rajput – a close relative of Vaghela and Congress MLA till 10 days ago – against Patel.

Besides it hope of attaining a majority in Rajya Sabha at the earliest, what seems to be fuelling the BJP’s specific attempt at ensuring Patel’s defeat is the significant message that it is likely to send both within the Congress hierarchy and across Gujarat before the state goes for Assembly polls towards the end of the year.

Patel – a Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat since 1993 and three term Lok Sabha MP from the state’s Bharuch seat before that – is the political secretary to the Congress president and though he maintains a low-profile and rarely ever interacts with the media, it is widely known that Sonia rarely ever takes any important political decision without discussing it first with Patel. As such, Patel enjoys a clout within the Congress leadership that is matched by no other party leader – with the exception of Sonia and her son, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

The immediate reason for Patel’s possible defeat in the RS polls is being attributed to defections being orchestrated by Vaghela – who had left the BJP to join the Congress nearly two decades ago but quit the Congress last week, ostensibly upset over the party’s reluctance to name him as its chief ministerial candidate ahead of the December 2017 assembly polls in Gujarat.

However, Congress leaders from the state as well as some of Patel’s detractors in the AICC, say that Vaghela is only the face of the party’s latest trouble. There is a much bigger message that the party wants to send to Sonia by ensuring Patel’s defeat – that she, and Patel by proxy, can’t continue to run Congress’ affairs in Gujarat in the same manner as they do now and that the grassroots workers and state leadership can no longer be run roughshod over.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Sharad Pawar admitted to Mumbai hospital hours after Pune discharge

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar was admitted to Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital hours after being discharged from Pune’s Ruby Hall Clinic, where he had been undergoing medical observation following complaints of cough and chest pain.

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November 5, 2026

APNLive Desk

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar was admitted to Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital on Wednesday, just hours after being discharged from Pune’s Ruby Hall Clinic. His daughter and Baramati MP Supriya Sule confirmed the development in a social media post, saying that the veteran politician was being admitted for further medical tests.

The 85-year-old leader had been discharged from Ruby Hall Clinic earlier on Wednesday after being admitted on November 2 following complaints of cough and pleuritic chest pain.

Confirming his admission to the Mumbai hospital, Supriya Sule said, “We are admitting Baba to Breach Candy Hospital for further tests. Thank you all for your concern and good wishes.”

Pawar’s latest hospitalisation came after he had undergone medical tests and observation during his stay at the Pune facility. Sule had earlier said that his health parameters were stable.

Why was Sharad Pawar admitted to hospital?

Sharad Pawar was initially admitted to Pune’s Ruby Hall Clinic on November 2 after experiencing complaints of cough and pleuritic pain, a form of chest pain that generally becomes worse while breathing, coughing or sneezing.

Dr Purvez K Grant, chief cardiologist, chairman and managing trustee of Ruby Hall Clinic, had said that Pawar was admitted for a general health check-up and medical observation following complaints of pleuritic pain.

During his hospital stay, Supriya Sule had informed that Pawar was undergoing medical tests and that his health parameters remained stable.

He was subsequently discharged from the Pune hospital on Wednesday. However, hours later, his family decided to admit him to Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital for further medical examinations.

PM Modi calls Sharad Pawar, advises complete rest

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to Sharad Pawar over the phone on Wednesday morning to enquire about his health.

According to Pawar’s aide Vitthal Maniyar, the Prime Minister spoke to the NCP (SP) chief and advised him to take complete rest.

Maniyar said Modi told Pawar that his daughter Supriya Sule and others were ready to take care of the country, and that the veteran politician should focus on his health.

Pawar thanked the Prime Minister for enquiring about his well-being, the aide said.

Maniyar also said that Pawar told Modi that he was resting and had no worries about the country, as others were there to take care of things.

The latest hospital admission was confirmed by Supriya Sule, who said her father was being taken to Breach Candy Hospital for further tests.

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Hardeep Singh Puri set to win Rajya Sabha bypoll unopposed

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri is set to be elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh after the returning officer rejected the nomination papers of two independent candidates.

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November 4, 2026

APNLive Desk

Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri is set to enter the Rajya Sabha unopposed from Madhya Pradesh after the nomination papers of two independent candidates were rejected during scrutiny on Tuesday.

The two candidates whose nominations were rejected were Kante Sayanna and Rajkumar Lohani, the latter being backed by the Congress. Their rejection leaves Puri as the only candidate in the contest for the vacant Rajya Sabha seat.

According to an official, the result will be announced on November 5, which is also the last date for withdrawal of nominations.

The Returning Officer, Umesh Sharma, examined the nomination papers on the last day of scrutiny and rejected the two independent candidates’ applications.

Objections raised against Hardeep Puri’s nomination

The nomination papers submitted by Puri also faced objections from the two independent candidates and Congress leader Hemant Katare.

They questioned the validity and completeness of Puri’s affidavit filed in Form 26, raising concerns over whether the mandatory details had been properly furnished.

However, after examining the objections, Returning Officer Umesh Sharma concluded that Puri had not violated any requirements under the Representation of the People Act.

Sharma stated in his order that no defect had been found in Puri’s nomination papers that could justify their rejection.

Following the decision, Katare and Congress MLA Atif Aqeel announced that they would approach the court against the order.

Calling the decision an attack on Indian democracy, the Congress leaders said in a statement that Puri’s nomination should have been rejected despite what they described as significant errors.

Why the Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sabha seat fell vacant

The by-election was necessitated by the resignation of Union Minister L Murugan, which left a Rajya Sabha seat vacant in Madhya Pradesh.

With the nomination papers of both independent candidates rejected and Puri’s nomination cleared, the Union minister is set to be elected unopposed.

The final announcement is expected on November 5, the last day for withdrawal of nominations.

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Yogi Adityanath announces free LPG cylinders on Diwali and Holi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced one free LPG cylinder each on Diwali and Holi for eligible Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries. The state has allocated Rs 1,500 crore for LPG refill subsidies covering more than 1.89 crore beneficiaries.

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November 4, 2026

APNLive Desk

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday announced that eligible families covered under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) will receive one free LPG cylinder each on Diwali and Holi.

The announcement came as the Chief Minister participated in a programme organised for distributing LPG refill subsidies to more than 1.89 crore beneficiaries across the state.

The Uttar Pradesh government has allocated Rs 1,500 crore for providing subsidies on LPG cylinder refills to eligible families under the scheme.

Addressing the gathering, Adityanath explained the cost of a domestic LPG cylinder and the subsidy provided by the Centre.

“The price of one domestic gas cylinder is Rs 983.45, and out of this, the Government of India provides a subsidy of Rs 335. You have to spend Rs 648.55 from your own pocket,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the state government had decided to provide one cylinder to poor families covered under the Ujjwala scheme on Diwali and Holi.

“With the money you save, you can buy Diwali sweets and lamps,” he said.

Yogi Adityanath targets previous Congress government

During his address, Adityanath also compared the availability of LPG connections under the present government with the situation during the Congress government’s tenure.

He said people previously faced several difficulties in obtaining a single gas connection, while the present government had provided free gas connections to poor families.

The Chief Minister described the initiative as an example of good governance.

Yogi Adityanath on Ayodhya’s Deepotsav

Earlier on Tuesday, Adityanath described Ayodhya’s Deepotsav, scheduled for November 7, as a symbol of social unity.

In a post on X, he said the festival brought together people from different sections of society through shared faith and cultural participation.

He also referred to the Deepotsav tradition initiated by the state government in 2017, saying it had transformed Ayodhya’s cultural heritage into a celebration involving people from different walks of life.

The Chief Minister is scheduled to visit Ayodhya to review preparations for the event.