RAIPUR/CHANDIGARH: Two senior MLAs among three, of which one is disgruntled, stayed away from the group of Haryana Congress legislators who have been taken to party-ruled Chhattisgarh, amid concerns that BJP will try to engineer defections for the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for June 10.
Twenty eight of 31 party MLAs, accompanied by a couple of party office-bearers, landed at Swami Vivekananda Airport on Thursday evening, and were taken to a resort in Naya Raipur.
Influential leader and son of late CM Bhajan Lal, Kuldeep Bishnoi, and Kiran Chaudhary did not reach Raipur. Congress sources said Chaudhary is unwell but there are no fears about her voting. Though Chaudhary is unhappy with the reshuffle of the state unit in which former CM Bhupinder Hooda prevailed, her daughter Shruti, a former MP, has been made a working president in the state organisation. However, Bishnoi is continuing to be angry after being overlooked for the post of state president. Sources said the Gandhis are talking to Bishnoi to placate him. The 3rd MLA missing is Chiranjeev Rao, but he is said to be busy with a family function and will join the party MLAs in Raipur later.
Congress just has the number required to get its candidate Ajay Maken elected. But sensing a vulnerability in the opposition party, BJP has fielded a resourceful businessman who has the support of its ally JJP and also some independents. BJP clearly believes that it can wean away enough MLAs from Congress to get Kartikeya Sharma elected.
BJP has 40 MLAs in Haryana assembly, and will have nine surplus for the second candidate. There are 10 of JJP, seven Independents and one each from Haryana Lokhit Party (Gopal Kanda) and INLD (Abhay Chautala). Around three defections from Congress, it is believed, will see the BJP candidate through, or else Congress will manage to make it.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Congress too has quarantined its MLAs, including Independents, to ward off fears of defections in the wake of BJP fielding an extra candidate with around 11 MLAs short.
The two states are being watched for Congress’ ability to keep its flock together, amid concerns that BJP’s “resources” and factionalism in Congress can spoil the chances of its candidates.
