Gujarat Rajya Sabha Elections: Congress expels eight MLAs, including Shankarsinh Vaghela, for cross-voting

Ahmedabad/New Delhi: A day after Congress stalwart Ahmed Patel's hard-fought victory in the Rajya Sabha elections, the party's Gujarat unit on Wednesday cracked the whip against eight rebel MLAs, including former chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela.

The MLAs have been expelled for six years for anti-party activities.

Talking to news agency ANI, former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, who is the general secretary in-charge of Gujarat, said the eight Congress MLAs have been expelled from the party for violation of the whip in the Rajya Sabha polls.

Gehlot added that he has also recommended the expulsion of six more legislators who had earlier resigned as MLAs. Three of them had later joined BJP.

Asserting that indiscipline will not be tolerated in the Congress, Gehlot said those expelled were indulging in anti-party activities.

Gehlot said the party will be strengthened further ahead of the state Assembly Elections due later this year.

Gujarat Congress spokesman Manish Doshi said the eight MLAs were expelled for cross-voting in favour of BJP candidates, defying the whip issued by the party.

These MLAs are: Shankarsinh Vaghela, his son Mahendrasinh, Raghavji Patel, Bhola Gohil, Dharmendra Jadeja, PK Raulji, Amit Chaudhary, Karan Patel.

Vaghela, a former chief minister, had resigned from the Congress and the post of leader of the opposition in the Assembly weeks ahead of the RS elections, but not from the House.

"We have expelled them for six years as they defied the party whip and cross-voted. We will take action against them under the anti-defection law also," said Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki.

Gehlot also thanked the Gujarat unit of the party for the victory of Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in the RS poll.

"It is Congress party's unity in Gujarat which has ensured Ahmed Patel ji's victory in Rajya Sabha Polls," he said.

Bharatsinh Solanki earlier held a meeting of party MLAs in Gandhinagar and thanked them for the victory of Ahmed Patel.

"Just like the united Gujarat Congress defeated the evil designs of BJP in RS Polls, we will fight and defeat BJP in upcoming assembly polls," he said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, all the 43 legislators who voted for Ahmed Patel held a meeting with the senior Congress leader and vowed to fight the forthcoming polls with more vigour.

Patel exhorted all the legislators to visit Tirupati Balaji temple to seek blessings for the victory and take a vow to bag 125 seats in the forthcoming Assembly Elections.

(With Agency inputs)