Rajya Sabha polls: Voting for 3 seats begins, Patel's fate hangs in balance

Polling for the crucial Rajya Sabha elections here in Gujarat began on Tuesday that will decide the fate of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel and that of BJP chief Amit Shah and Union Minister Smriti Irani.

While Patel is seeking a fifth term with his back to the wall, the Bharatiya Janata Party candidates are all set for an easy run.

As many as 176 legislators are expected to exercise their franchise for four contestants battling it out for three seats. The ruling BJP's third candidate is Congress turncoat Balwantsinh Rajput.

With 122 MLAs in the House of 182, two BJP candidates will easily sail through, but Patel with 44 Congress MLAs, appears to be falling short by one to win his seat.

The Congress had 57 legislators. But after six of them resigned in July, it was reduced to 51.

Seven from them are led by rebel leader Shankersinh Vaghela.

In a blow to the Congress and a further setback forAhmed Patel attempt to enter the Rajya Sabha for the fifth term, an NCP MLA said he and his party colleague have been asked to vote for the BJP.

Nationalist Congress Party MLA Kandhal Jadeja told local TV that they had been asked by senior party leaders to vote for BJP's Balvantsinh Rajput in Tuesday's Rajya Sabha election.

The latest development muddies the situation for Patel, political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, with the BJP all out to stymie his efforts in the biennial elections.

Earlier, the 44 Congress MLAs, who were flown to Bengaluru to prevent "poaching" by the BJP, returned to the state on Monday.

They were moved to the Nijanand Resort near Anand. Their family members visited the resort for the Raksha Bandhan festival.

Of the 57 party legislators in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, six quit the party on July 26 and three of them joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on July 28. Of the remaining 51 MLAs, seven, including Shankersinh Vaghela, did not join those who were flown to Bengaluru.

Patel, who needs 45 first preference votes in a House with an effective strength of 176 MLAs, expressed confidence that he will win the election with the support of 44 party MLAs, and the backing of two NCP and a lone JD-U member.