Summary:
Congress veteran Ahmed Patel has submitted before the Gujarat High Court that it is the BJP and its leader Balvantsinh Rajput who used "undue influence and pressure" resulting in the resignation of six Congress MLAs just before the August 2017 Rajya Sabha elections, with eight Congress MLAs cross voting in the polls. Patel, on Monday, deposed before the court for the third day for cross-examination in connection with an election petition by Rajput challenging his Rajya Sabha poll victory. Additional solicitor general Satya Pal Jain, who appeared as a counsel for Rajput, questioned Patel on the latter using undue influence and pressure on Congress MLAs so that they vote in his favour in the election. This was refuted by Patel, who blamed the BJP for resignation of Congress MLAs and cross voting in the election. Jain also questioned about the Bengaluru trip of Gujarat Congress MLAs where they were taken to a resort and kept together just before the Rajya Sabha polls..