Congress to bolt its stable in Rajasthan to prevent horse trading

The Congress has decided to shift its MLAs in Rajasthan to a Udaipur hotel, with party sources saying they fear that the Bharatiya Janata Party will poach them ahead of the June 10 Rajya Sabha elections.

"The MLAs have been asked to reach Udaipur. Some are likely to go today and the rest will be reaching Udaipur tomorrow," a source said.

Apart from the Congress MLAs, independent legislators and those belonging to other parties and supporting the ruling outfit will also be shifted to Udaipur.

The MLAs will stay in the hotel where the Congress party's Chintan Shivir was held last month.

The Congress move has come a day after media baron Subhash Chandra, who is backed by the BJP, filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls.

The Congress has fielded Mukul Wasnik, Pramod Tiwari and Randeep Singh Surjewala for the elections to four seats of the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan.

The BJP has named former minister Ghanshyam Tiwari. 

Chandra is currently a member of the Upper House of Parliament from Haryana and his term is going to expire on August 1.

The filing of papers by him as an independent candidate had prompted Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to allege that the BJP wants to indulge in horse trading.

The ruling Congress in Rajasthan with its 108 MLAs in the state Assembly is set to win two of the four seats going to the elections on June 10.

After winning two seats, the Congress will have 26 surplus votes, 15 short of the required 41 to win the third seat.

On the other hand, the BJP has 71 MLAs in the state Assembly and is set to win one seat, after which it will be left with 30 surplus votes.

Gehlot and the Congress candidates had on Tuesday held a meeting with 10 of 13 independent MLAs in Rajasthan, just hours after Chandra filed his papers.