Gujarat Rajya Sabha election result: BJP candidates S Jaishankar and Jugal Thakor have been elected to Rajya Sabha from Gujarat. Informing about the development, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said: “External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Jugalji Thakor of BJP have been elected to Rajya Sabha from Gujarat. Official results yet to be declared, but it is clear that we have won.”
Jaishankar thanked everyone for the support. “External Affairs Minister and Gujarat have a natural partnership. There is no such country where there is no Gujarati. If the prestige of India has increased internationally, Gujarat has a role in it,” he said.
By-polls for the two Rajya Sabha seats were conducted today. Two candidates each from the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress were in the fray. The seats were left vacant by BJP leaders Amit Shah and Smriti Irani who were elected to the Lok Sabha from Gandhinagar in Gujarat and Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, respectively, in the general elections.
The two leaders had resigned from the Upper House after their election to the Lower House. While the BJP fielded External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and OBC leader Jugal Thakor, the Congress fielded Chandrika Chudasama and Gaurav Pandya.
Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly Paresh Dhanani on Rajya Sabha by-poll results: Lawmakers Alpesh Thakor and Dhawal Zala have broken a law by cross-voting. We have written for their disqualification. I congratulate winners of BJP.
BJP candidate Jugalji Thakor thanked all the party MLAs who voted for him.
Jaishankar thanked everyone for the support. "Like I said during my nomination, External Affairs Minister & Gujarat have a natural partnership. There is no such country where there is no Gujarati. If the prestige of India has increased internationally, Gujarat has a role in it," he said.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Jugalji Thakor of BJP have been elected to Rajya Sabha from Gujarat. Official results yet to be declared, but it is clear that we have won.
Congress observer Shailesh Parmar on Rajya Sabha election: The Counting of votes has started but the result will not be declared until any order from Election Commission.
The Congress has approached the Election Commission demanding cancellation of cross-voting by Alpesh Thakor and Dhavalsinh Zala.
Congress leader Jaysinh Parmar informed that Dhavalsinh Zala and Alpesh Thakor voted to the candidates of BJP in Rajya Sabha by-polls. "After which our observer Shailesh Parmar took objection on this and instantly demanded to cancel their votes & issued anti-defection law. Gujarat Congress has filed an appeal to Election Commission regarding cross-voting by Alpesh Thakor and Dhavalsinh Zala," ANI quoted Parmar as saying.
Congress MLAs Alpesh Thakor and Dhavalsinh Zala resigned apparently after voting against the party candidates in the Rajya Sabha bypolls. Both the disgruntled MLAs indulged in "cross-voting" as they gave their votes to BJP candidates instead of Congress candidates. Thakor said he voted for "honest national leadership". Voting for the by-polls to the two vacant Rajya Sabha seats in Gujarat was held at the Assembly complex in Gandhinagar from 9 am to 4 pm Friday.
Congress MLAs Alpesh Thakor and Dhavalsinh Zala resigned apparently after voting against the party candidates in the Rajya Sabha bypolls. Both the disgruntled MLAs indulged in "cross-voting" as they gave their votes to BJP candidates instead of Congress candidates. Thakor said he voted for "honest national leadership". Voting for the bypolls to the two vacant Rajya Sabha seats in Gujarat was held at the Assembly complex in Gandhinagar from 9 am to 4 pm Friday.
Congress MLA from Bayad Dhavalsinh Zala resigned from the party and cross voted in today bypolls for two Rajya Sabha seats. After resiging from the party, he said: "People from Congress party were insulting us and people again and again. Leaders were not listening to small workers of the party. Considering everything, I have resigned from the post of Congress MLA."
Congress MLA from Radhanpur Alpesh Thakor today resigned saying Rahul Gandhi did nothing for him. He said: I joined Congress trusting Rahul Gandhi, but unfortunately he did nothing for us. We were insulted again and again. So, I have resigned from the post of Congress MLA."
Polling for two seats is underway and will conclude at 4 pm. The BJP has fielded External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Jugal Thakor, while the Congress has named Chandrika Chudasama and Gaurav Pandya. Former foreign secretary S Jaishankar was hand-picked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Foreign Ministry after Sushma Swaraj opted out.
The BJP-led NDA is likely to get a majority in the Rajya Sabha by the end of 2021, a report in the PTI said. If the NDA gains majority in the Upper House, it will become much easier for the ruling alliance to carry out its legislative agenda. Assembly polls are due in some states like Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand later this year and the BJP's show in the Rajya Sabha polls, slated for 2020, will depend on its numbers garnered in these state elections.
The Rajya Sabha or the Upper House of Parliament has 245 chairs. At present, the BJP-led NDA government is in minority with 116 MPs against Opposition's 126 MPs. The NDA members include - BJP (78), AIADMK (13), JDU (6), Shiv Sena (3), SAD (3), RPI-A (1), LJP (1), AGP (1), BPF (1), NPF (1), SDF (1), IND (4) and Nominated (3).
Since elections on the two seats are being held separately, a candidate needs to garner a simple 50% votes to win. In the present scenario, each candidate needs 88 votes to secure victory. The BJP has 100 MLAs in the 182 member House. Thus, it is expected to be smooth ride for both the BJP candidates -- S Jaishankar and Jugal Thakor.
Out of the 182-member Gujarat Legislative Assembly, a total of 175 MLAs are expected to exercise their franchise in the polls. This includes 100 BJP MLAs and 71 Congress MLAs including Alpesh Thakor and Dhavalsinh Jhala who resigned from the party. Two MLAs of Bharatiya Tribal Party (Chhotubhai Vasava and son Maheshbhai Vasava), one MLA of NCP (Kandhal Jadeja) and one Independent (Jignesh Mevani) will also take part in the election process. Three MLAs of Dwarka, Talala and Morva Hadaf were disqualified and four seats are vacant after the MLAs who occupied these seats were elected to the Lok Sabha.
The BJP has 100 MLAs in 182 members Gujarat Legislative Assembly. Since the Election Commission is conducting elections, separately, it is expected to be smooth ride for both the BJP candidates -- S Jaishankar and Jugal Thakor.
As per the Election Commission, the voting will be held separately for both the seats. The voting process is expected to be keenly watched for possibilities of cross-voting, especially from among Congress MLAs.
Gujarat elects 11 MPs and they are elected by the state legislators. At present, the ruling BJP has five MPs while the Congress has four. The two seats that fell vacant were represented by the BJP. The tenure of a Rajya Sabha MP lasts for six years.
On Thursday evening, the Congress MLAs attended their legislative party meeting at a resort in Banaskantha district. As many as 65 Congress MLAs were shifted to the resort on Wednesday night to foil any 'poaching' attempt by the ruling BJP.
According to Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer S Murali Krishna, the process to count the votes will begin at 5 pm today and results will be declared today itself. Krishna, who conducted a review of poll preparations on Thursday, said that the polling wull continue till 4 pm.
Tha Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and OBC leader Jugal Thakor for the two seats. The Congress has also nominated two candidates. They are - Chandrika Chudasama and Gaurav Pandya.
The polling process to election two MPs to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat begun at 9 am in Gandhinagar amidst tighet security. The Election Commission has set up a single polling booth with two separate divisions. Polling will continue till 4 pm.