The Election Commission has sought an enquiry report from the Gujarat Government over Congress' allegation of effecting defection of its MLAs by BJP. The Poll panel has asked the State Chief Secretary to submit its report by 5 PM tomorrow. The Commission has also asked the State government to ensure proper security to all the MLAs and their family members.<br/><br/>A Congress delegation led by senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad met the Election Commission last evening in New Delhi and alleged that BJP government is misusing power and authority ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat. They asked the Commission to constitute a high powered committee to enquire into the charges of money and muscle power to engineer defection of Congress MLAs. <br/><br/>Meanwhile in a bid to protect its MLAs in Gujarat from any form of horse trading ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, the Congress leadership flew more than 40 MLAs from Gujarat to a private resort in Bengaluru on Saturday.<br/><br/>AIR correspondent reports that te MLAs arrived in two batches and were taken to a private resort near Ramanagara. They were escorted by party MP D.K.Suresh, who is overseeing the arrangements. He said, that the Congress MLAs from Gujarat came to Karnataka for rest and tourist purpose. This operation is being monitored by AICC General Secretary incharge of Karnataka K.C Venugopal. Meanwhile Karnataka Energy Minister D.K Sivakumar met Gujarat MLAs at the resort.<br/><br/>Fearing "poaching" of its legislators ahead of Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat, Congress today paraded its MLAs before the media in an effort to put to rest all speculation, including internal bickering in the party as charged by BJP. Speaking on the occasion senior Congress leader and AICC spokes person Shaktisinh Gohil accused the BJP of trying to break the party by poaching its MLAs from Gujarat ahead of the Rajya Sabha election. Shaktisinh Gohil today paraded Gujarat Congress MLAs before media persons in Bengaluru. <br/><br/>Countering criticism of bringing the legislators to the resort to Bengaluru when Gujarat is reeling under heavy rain and floods, Gohil said the MLAs were brought here after party leaders came to know about BJP's attempt to poach their MLAs using money and muscle power. Slamming the Vijay Rupani government of Gujarat for ignoring the people affected by floods in the states, Shaktisinh Gohil said that the BJP MLAs were not worried about the floods and they were busy in trying to break the Congress. <br/><br/>The BJP had said that many Congress MLAs in Gujarat Assembly were unhappy with their own party leadership. Six of the Gujarat Congress MLAs had resigned last week following which the party sent 44 of its legislators to a private resort outside Bengaluru city. Of the six who quit the party, three have joined the BJP. In the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, the strength of the Congress has gone down to 51 from 57.

The Election Commission has sought an enquiry report from the Gujarat Government over Congress' allegation of effecting defection of its MLAs by BJP. The Poll panel has asked the State Chief Secretary to submit its report by 5 PM tomorrow. The Commission has also asked the State government to ensure proper security to all the MLAs and their family members.<br/><br/>A Congress delegation led by senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad met the Election Commission last evening in New Delhi and alleged that BJP government is misusing power and authority ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat. They asked the Commission to constitute a high powered committee to enquire into the charges of money and muscle power to engineer defection of Congress MLAs. <br/><br/>Meanwhile in a bid to protect its MLAs in Gujarat from any form of horse trading ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, the Congress leadership flew more than 40 MLAs from Gujarat to a private resort in Bengaluru on Saturday.<br/><br/>AIR correspondent reports that te MLAs arrived in two batches and were taken to a private resort near Ramanagara. They were escorted by party MP D.K.Suresh, who is overseeing the arrangements. He said, that the Congress MLAs from Gujarat came to Karnataka for rest and tourist purpose. This operation is being monitored by AICC General Secretary incharge of Karnataka K.C Venugopal. Meanwhile Karnataka Energy Minister D.K Sivakumar met Gujarat MLAs at the resort.