Gujarat RS election : Ahmed Patel confident of victory, claims total unity in Cong

Patel, political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, is seeking a fifth consecutive term which faces challenge with the ruling BJP going all out to scuttle.

"We are confident, it can be seen on MLAs' faces. We are sure of victory," media reports quoted Patel as claiming.  .

After days of suspense that involved party legislators, who the Congress believaed were being targeted by BJP for horsetrading to ensure  Patel's defeat, all the 44 MLAs returned to the state in the wee hours of Monday after they were kept huddled in a Karnataka resort.

The Congress had whisked them away from the state for a "safer custody" after six of its MLAs  deserted the party  recently and  three of them joined the BJP.

According to reports, they were taken to the Neejanand Resort in Gujarat's Anand district, located 77 km from Ahmedabad, ahead of the election for three seats.

On Tuesday, the Congress legislators will directly go to Gandhinagar from Anand to vote for the party's Rajya Sabha nominee Ahmed Patel.

In the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, the strength of the Congress has gone down to 51 from 57 after the six legislators resigned.

As the Congress alleges, the development was the result of a design by former party heavyweight  Shankersinh Vaghela, who quit the Congress last month reportedly on being denied much prominence.

The Congress needs to ensure at least 45 MLAs support Ahmed Patel in Tuesday's vote which could be possible if there is no cross-voting.

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