Daijiworld Media Network- Bengaluru (RJP)
Bengaluru, Jul 30: Around 41 Congress MLAs from Gujarat are ‘happily’ locked in luxury at Eagleton resort here on the outskirts of city while their state has seen the severe floods.
The MLAs came in two batches from Ahmadabad and Rajkot in the early hours of Saturday after six of its MLAs resigned during the last two days. Following this, the Congress strength has been reduced to 51 MLAs in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly.
The MLAs are kept under a special ‘watch’ in order to protect them from any form of horse trading by the BJP before the crucial Rajya Sabha elections scheduled to take place on August 8.
The MLAs have been told not to go out at all. They have been also asked not to use mobile phones. Visitors from outside are not allowed to meet them, it is gathered.
As per the present plan, they will stay at the resort for a week and leave for Gandhinagar on the eve of the polls.
Bengaluru Rural MP D K Suresh, brother of energy minister D K Shivakumar, is overseeing the arrangements. Congress MLC C M Lingappa and party leader Saleem Ahmed, who is also additional special representative in New Delhi from Karnataka, are taking care of them. D K Shivakumar, who is in Singapore, will look into logistics of the stay of the MLAs soon after his return back home.
The sprawling resort is spread across 77 acres replete with a golf course. Room tariff per day here ranges between Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000. Gujarati and South Indian delicacies are on the menu for the guests.
Sources said two senior legislators were insisting on returning to Gujarat to monitor relief work in the wake of floods. However, they were persuaded to remain. A few legislators have expressed a wish to visit Tirupati for Darshan of Lord Balaji.
Elections will be held on August 8 for 3 Rajya Sabha seats. While the BJP, which has a majority in the House, has fielded its party national president Amit Shah and union minister Smriti Irani for two seats, the Congress has re-nominated Ahmed Patel, who is political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, for the third seat. The resignation of six legislators has jeopardised his election.
Meanwhile, Congress MLAs staying in Karnataka when Gujarat is experiencing severe floods has attracted heavy criticism from many quarters. Union minister Ananth Kumar said. “At a time when Gujarat is affected by severe floods, the Congress MLAs, instead of monitoring relief work are indulging in resort politics. It is an insult to the mandate of the people,”