Relocating MLAs part of Cong's ‘foolproof’ plan to prevent poaching

MLAs from Goa and Uttarakhand may be sent to hotels in Jaipur and Jodhpur — locations the party has used on earlier occasions to secure MLAs from Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh

With counting of votes for elections to five states scheduled for March 10, the Congress has prepared a “foolproof” plan to sequester victorious MLAs from Goa and Uttarakhand to a designated “safe” place, possibly in party-ruled Rajasthan, senior party leaders in Goa, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan have told HT.

Congress leaders in Goa who were familiar with the plan said candidates will be asked to report to a confidential location from where they would be taken to a safe place outside the state. (Archive)

A senior party leader familiar with the plan said the issue of protecting victorious MLAs was brought up during a meeting senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held with Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel on February 27.

“The party is expecting to form the government in Uttarakhand and Goa and the leadership is serious about preventing any attempt to poach the MLAs,” said a Rajasthan-based Congress leader who did not want to be named.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is scheduled to visit Jaipur of a 1-day trip on Monday. The leader said, “She will be meeting the CM (Gehlot) and discussions, especially related to post-poll management, cannot be ruled out. The CM is likely to receive her at 1 pm at Jaipur airport.”

MLAs from Goa and Uttarakhand may be sent to hotels in Jaipur and Jodhpur -- locations the party has used on earlier occasions to secure MLAs from Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

In Goa, where the Congress failed to form the government in 2017 despite emerging as the single largest party, state congress president Girish Chodankar said, “We have a foolproof plan for any eventuality.” He did not elaborate on the plans however.

Party leaders in Goa who were familiar with the plan said candidates will be asked to report to a confidential location from where they would be taken to a safe place outside the state. “Depending on the results of the polls, the MLAs will be kept outside the state and will be brought back as and when required,” another senior party leader said.

The party contested the elections to the 40-member Goa assembly in alliance with the Goa Forward Party. According to functionaries, Congress is also in touch with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party for a post-poll alliance.

The Congress has also sent All India Congress Committee (AICC) senior observer P Chidambaram and Goa in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao to Goa to oversee the party’s strategy in Goa ahead of the counting. Both arrived in Goa on Sunday, a day after they held a meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat, Chodankar and AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal also participated at the meeting.

A Dehradun-based senior Congress leader aware of the developments said they would be sending candidates to a “secret” location soon after the results are announced. “We have plan A, B and C ready depending on the poll outcome. If need arises we can send our MLAs to Rajasthan or some other state,” he said.

In Jaipur, Congress leaders said that Rajasthan MLAs would be assigned duties to escort newly-elected law-makers from the two states, if the need arises. “These MLAs were already given duty for campaign in the two states. We have identified the hotels, where the MLAs can be housed,” the leader said.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has been made in-charge of Goa, Uttarakhand and Punjab for the counting day. Party leaders said he would coordinate with the leaders in these states in case they need help to move the newly elected MLAs out quickly, the Rajasthan Congress leader quoted above said.

(With inputs from Neeraj Santoshi in Dehradun)