RS polls: Congress confident of victory despite cross voting, Vaghela jolt

New Delhi[India],Aug 8 (ANI): The Congress party on Tuesday said that Congress MLAs will vote for its candidate Ahmed Patel in the Gujarat Rajya Sabha polls despite Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) conspiracy and cheap tactics. "Congress MLAs will vote for Ahmed Patel despite BJP's conspiracy and cheap tactics. BJP could not lure the Congress MLA. In the end truth will prevail, definitely Ahmed Patel is going to get all the votes," Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala told ANI. Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, however refrained from speaking on the matter and said that he would wait for the result. In a jolt to the Congress, two party leaders admitted that they have voted for the BJP in Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections. The two Congress leaders Raghavji Patel and Dharmendra Jadeja voted for BJP's Balwantsinh Rajput. "I have voted for Balwantsinh Rajput. I want to stay in politics but not in Congress. There are only two parties in Gujarat - Congress and BJP. If I'm not with Congress, this is understood where will I be," Raghavji Patel said making his intentions clear. The other Congress leader Jadeja said that he voted for BJP as Congress was not paying heed to them. "Congress hadn't been listening to us for a year. We have voted for Balwantsinh Rajput," Jadeja said. Adding to Ahmed Patel's misery, former grand old party leader Shankersinh Vaghela said that he did not cast his vote for the Congress candidate. "When we know that Congress will not win then there is no point of voting in favour of them. I didn't cast my vote for Ahmed Patel," Vaghela said. Meanwhile Patel expressed confidence and said, "I am confident, party is confident we are going to win. Wait for the result to come." The voting for the crucial Rajya Sabha polls for three seats begun at 9 a.m. will continue till 4 p.m. The counting will commence at 5 p.m. The BJP has fielded party president Amit Shah, Union Minister Smriti Irani and Balwantsinh Rajput against the lone Congress candidate Ahmed Patel.(ANI)