Rajya Sabha poll: Haryana Congress MLAs kept at Raipur resort, police keep a watch

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 3

With 27 Haryana Congress MLAs lodged at Mayfair Lake Resort in Raipur for the next few days, the Chhattisgarh Police are keeping them “safe”, not allowing any outsider to meet them.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel welcomed the MLAs at the resort on Thursday evening. They were later joined by party’s Rajya Sabha candidate from Haryana Ajay Maken.

Rajasthan MLAs follow suit, camp in Udaipur

• At least 70 Congress MLAs from Rajasthan camping at Udaipur hotel ahead of the elections to four Rajya Sabha seats
• Several ministers, Independent MLAs also present with party fearing horse-trading by BJP
• Cong has fielded three candidates. With its 108 MLAs, party set to win two seats

The resort is located on the outskirts of Raipur. The MLAs, who are allowed to use their mobile phones, today passed the time discussing political affairs of the state, said a legislator.

Former CM Bhupinder Hooda, former CLP leader Kiran Choudhry, Rewari MLA Chiranjeev Rao, and Adampur MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi have not joined the MLAs so far.

Rao was celebrating his birthday today and will join them later. Choudhry said, “I am a senior leader. We are tied with the central leadership. We don’t need to be carted around.” Sources said Bishnoi was upset over not being made the state party president. He might create trouble for the Congress if he shifted his loyalties ahead of the Rajya Sabha poll, they said.

Maken is locked in a keen contest with Independent Kartikeya Sharma, who is backed by the JJP, BJP and Independent MLAs. Maken needs 31 votes to sail through and the party has these many MLAs. In case of cross-voting, Maken could lose. “That is why the MLAs have been shifted to Raipur to avoid poaching by rivals,” said a senior party MLA.

Earlier on Thursday, to move the MLAs to a safer location away from the “allurements” of the rivals, all legislators were first called to Hooda’s residence in Delhi.

Along with Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda and state in-charge Vivek Bansal, the MLAs were moved to the Delhi airport in a bus, from where a chartered flight brought them to Raipur.

Deepender said: “All 31 party MLAs are together. The Congress candidate will get more than 31 votes, as rival party MLAs are in touch with us. The BJP should keep its flock together.”

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