Abu Road: Bhartiya Janta Party leaders have staged a protest after Congress moved 19 Gujarat MLAs to a resort in Rajasthan ahead of Rajya Sabha polls. Nagar Palika Chairman Suresh Sindal, OBC Morcha District President Manish Morwal and other party leaders have demanded strict action against hotel owners for allowing MLAs to stay in the resort amid corona induced lockdown.
"Amid lockdown, all the hotels and resorts are closed and people are not allowed to stay. But violating the lockdown norms, at least 30 party leaders, including 22 Gujarat MLAs are staying at Wildwinds resort in Jambudi. We have also informed our senior party leader Satish Poonia about it," said Sindal.
He added, "Congress is afraid that their party leaders will betray them and join BJP, that's why they have shifted their leaders here. We will file a complaint against them. The state government is misusing its powers by granting permission to MLAs to stay in the resort."
"The state govt and the police administration are aware and they are co-operating with them," he alleged.
As per the sources, police administration is also likely to arrive at the resort in a short time. BJP's reaction comes after Congress moved 22 Gujarat MLAs to a private resort in Rajasthan on Saturday evening in an attempt to thwart any more resignations.
READ: Ahead of RS polls, Cong MLAs reach Wildwinds Resort in Rajasthan
It is to be noted that three Congress MLAs Akshay Patel, Jitubai Chaudhary and Brijesh Merja had tendered their resignations to Gujarat Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi.
Merja is the eight Congress MLA to quit the assembly membership since March. Earlier, in March also, five MLAs of the Congress had resigned. In the 182-member state Assembly, the ruling BJP has 103 MLAs and the opposition Congress now has 66 legislators. Names of five candidates - three from the BJP and two from the Congress - were recently announced for elections to four Rajya Sabha seats from the state.
The BJP has fielded Abhay Bhardwaj, Ramila Bara and Narhari Amin, while the Congress has fielded senior leaders Shaktisinh Gohil and Bharatsinh Solanki for the polls. (With inputs from PTI)
