Several Rajasthan government ministers are among nearly 70 Congress lawmakers who are camping at a hotel in Rajasthan's Udaipur ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections to four seats in which the party fears horse trading by the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), according to party sources.
The ministeres among the MLAs camping in Udaipur include Parsadi Lal Meena, BD Kalla, Mamta Bhupesh, and some independents like Suresh Tak.
A bus carrying over 40 MLAs reached the hotel, where the party had held its 'Chintan Shivir' in May, around 2.30 am on Friday. The bus left Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's residence with MLAs on Thursday evening and stopped in Bhilwara where state revenue minister Ramlal Jat hosted a dinner.
Sources told PTI that remaining party MLAs of the party will reach the hotel according to their convenience.
Rajya Sabha elections to the four seats will take place on June 10. Congress has fielded three candidates and BJP has fielded one.
The BJP has also given support to media baron Subhash Chandra who has filed his nomination as an independent candidate.
Fearing horse trading for the seat contested by Chandra, the ruling Congress has decided to keep the party and other supporting MLAs together.
The Congress with its 108 MLAs in the state Assembly is set to win two seats. 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. The party leaders claim the support of 126 MLAs, including 108 of the Congress. It needs 123 MLAs to win three seats.
(With PTI inputs)
