Did not vote for Ahmed Patel in Gujarat Rajya Sabha election: Shankarsinh Vaghela

Interacting with the media, Vaghela said: "There is no point in voting someone who will not win."

"I had freed Congress last month and today they also said that I am free to vote anyone", he said.

Vaghela, who has allegedly triggered the recent spate of desertion of Congress legislators in Gujarat that threatens Patel's prospects for another term in the upper House, claimed only a few days ago that they have been in good relationship since 1977.

Voting for Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat began on Tuesday morning.

The  election in the state has assumed much importance after several Congress MLAs resigned and few joined the ruling BJP's camp after Vaghela.

Three of the deserters joined the BJP.

To stem the rot before the crucial election in which the party was in a position to win one of the three seats at stake, the Congress flew 44 of its lawmakers to Bengaluru late last month.

The party accused the incumbent Gujarat government of trying to lure 22 Congress lawmakers by offering Rs 15 crores and asking them to cross vote during the polls.

Amid a high drama of political slugfest, Patel, the political secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, said he is sure of his victory as all the party MLAs are united.

"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 believed were being targeted by the 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.

To guard against further desertions the Congress had whisked them away from the state for a "safer custody" .

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.

BJP's National President Amit Shah and Union textile minister Smriti Irani are also contesting the Rajya Sabha election from Gujarat and are sure to sail through by virtue of BJP's strength in the state Assembly.

While the Congress needs a minimum of 44 votes, Patel, pitted against BJP's third candidate BalvantSinh Rajput, a Congress deserter, finds the going tough with only 44 MLAs at disposal and  the fear of cross-voting looming large.

Image: Official Facebook page of Shankarsinh Vaghela.