New Delhi:
The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday sought an enquiry report from Chief Secretary of Gujarat Dr Jagdip Narayan Singh by July 31 on allegations of horse-trading made by the Congress delegation in its memorandum. Also, ensure proper security to all the MLAs and their family members, the EC directed the state government.
Earlier in the day, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised Congress’ decision to shift 38 MLAs out of Gujarat. BJP Gujarat in-charge Bhupendra Yadav questioned the decision to shift MLAs with so much of expenses when the state is struggling to deal with natural calamity like flood.
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“Today, when people are surrounded by floods due to natural calamity, Congress has switched off all MLAs phone. They have been taken to Bengaluru with so much expenses, given all facilities, on the other hand people are in distress,” said Bhupendra.
On Friday, in an overnight operation, Congress flew 38 of its Gujarat MLAs from Ahmedabad to Bengaluru to keep them from being “poached” by the BJP ahead of the August 8 Rajya Sabha polls in that state.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala demanded that the Election Commission (EC) lodged a criminal case against the BJP for “poaching” its MLAs using “money and muscle” power, a charge denied by the saffron party.
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