Another Congress MLA resigns before Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat
What's the story
In a new development that should concern Congress, another MLA of the party has resigned ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls, scheduled to take place on June 19. Morbi's Brijesh Merja submitted his resignation to Speaker Rajendra Trivedi on Friday. Just yesterday, Trivedi informed that two legislators Akshay Patel and Jitu Chaudhary had resigned. They submitted their resignations on Wednesday. Here are more details.
Numbers
Congress now has 65 MLAs, BJP 103
Since March, eight MLAs have snapped ties with Congress, bringing its strength in the State Assembly to 65. The ruling BJP has 103 members in the 182-member House. Currently, ten Assembly seats are vacant — two due to court cases and eight because of resignations. The polls will be held for four Rajya Sabha seats, and with every resignation, Congress' chances are only dimming.
Resignation
Merja told Sonia he was unable to "serve people"
Before tendering his resignation, Merja quit from the primary membership of Congress. In his resignation letter to AICC interim President Sonia Gandhi, he said he joined the party to serve people but was unable to do so. On the development, Congress Spokesperson Hemant Vasavada said whenever elections approach, BJP begins horse-trading. "The Congress MLAs are lured by BJP through money power," he said.
Quote
Congress can't satisfy "greed": Vasavada
Saying that the Congress can't satisfy the greed of legislators, he added, "Those persons who are still in the Congress, not because (they want to) serve the public, but here in politics for financial benefits, are expected to leave in the coming days. (sic)"
Candidates
Given the numbers, BJP could win easily
As of now, to get elected to the Upper House of Parliament, candidates require at least 36 votes under the single transferable vote (STV) system. Congress has fielded stalwarts like Shaktisinh Gohil and Bharatsinh Solanki for the upcoming polls. Meanwhile, the saffron party chose Abhay Bhardwaj, Ramilaben Bara, and Narhari Amin. Things look favorable for BJP currently, and it can easily win two seats.