New Delhi: Amid mounting criticism of Gujarat Congress MLAs, currently lodged in a Bengaluru resort, over their in absence respective constituencies, Rajya Sabha MP Ahmed Patel visited flood relief camps in North Gujarat on Sunday.
Patel, who is a political advisor to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, took to Twitter to share photographs of his visit, along with his entourage that accompanied him.
"Visited various flood relief camps in North Gujarat today," Patel wrote on Twitter.
Patel also criticised the BJP-led government in Gujarat for its "very slow" response to a heavy rainfall battering several parts of the state.
"Response of the state administration has been very slow. Had the government been proactive the damage could have been minimized," he wrote.
Response of the state administration has been very slow. Had the government been proactive the damage could have been minimized pic.twitter.com/J6Wg4w9QqS— Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) July 30, 2017
On the other hand, Congress MLAs holed up in a resort in Bengaluru claimed on Sunday they went to Karnataka of their own accord, as the BJP was using the state machinery in Gujarat to threaten them ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections.
In a press conference, the 44 MLAs presented a united stand, saying BJP had tried to buy off 22 MLAs and had even offered to pay Rs 15 crore to each of them, but they have not succumbed. "BJP is trying to poach our MLAs for 15 crore rupees, but we resisted them. Our families are being threatened," Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil said.
Gohil said they only need 45 votes to send Sonia Gandhi's political adviser Ahmed Patel to the Rajya Sabha and they are confident of victory even after the string of resignations. “We only need 45 votes out of the 60 that we command. The MLAs had held a meeting on July 25 in Gujarat, where 53 had promised their support,” he said.
The Congress party had on late Friday night flown 44 of its Gujarat MLAs to Karnataka, alleging the ruling BJP in the Gujarat was "threatening and bribing" MLAs to join its ranks.
Subsequently, a Congress-led delegation on Saturday submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging the usage of "money and muscle power" by the ruling BJP in Gujarat to "poach" its MLAs.
Tensions in the Congress camp soared after six of its MLAs in the state resigned from the party and joined the BJP, prompting a swift response to shift them outside the state to Karnataka.
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