Rajya Sabha poll: Amit Shah holds meeting with party leaders

AHMEDABAD: Ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls, BJP chief Amit Shah today held a meeting with the party leaders in Gujarat, including Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, at his residence here.

State BJP president Jitubhai Vaghani, party's state in-charge Bhupendra Yadav and Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja and other leaders met Shah in the morning for the Rajya Sabha elections of August 8, party sources said.

According to the state party unit, Shah, who arrived here late last night, would stay here till the completion of the Rajya Sabha polls, in which, he is one of the four contestants from the state.

The BJP has maintained that Shah is in the city to celebrate Raksha Bandhan and has no official engagements.

However, party sources said the party chief discussed various issues regarding the polls with the leaders in today's meeting.

They added that it is expected that similar rounds of meetings would continue tomorrow.

For the three Rajya seats falling vacant in Gujarat, the BJP has fielded Shah, Union minister and sitting Rajya Sabha MP Smriti Irani and former Congress MLA Balwantsinh Rajput, who had joined the saffron party a week ago.

Of the total 11 Rajya Sabha members from Gujarat, the term of three -- Smriti Irani and Dilipbhai Pandya (both BJP), and Congress' Ahmed Patel -- is ending on August 18.

Patel has been re-nominated as the party's candidate for the August 8 Rajya Sabha election.

The polls have became crucial for both the parties as new equations are emerging every day after the dramatic exit of Gujarat Congress strongman Shankersinh Vaghela from the party followed by the resignation of six of the party's MLAs.

With this, the Congress tally has reduced to 51 in the 182-seat Gujarat Assembly.

While the Congress claimed to have the support of 44 Congress MLAs, who were shifted to Bengaluru a week ago, seven others, who are still here, have not opened their cards yet.