Congress turncoat and former MLA Amit Chaudhary on Thursday deposed before the Gujarat High Court for the trial in the election petition filed by BJP leader Balvantsinh Rajput against the Rajya Sabha poll victory of veteran Congress leader Ahmed Patel.
In his deposition, he stated that during the meeting held in the Congress office on July 25, 2017, Patel had told him that he had a long future, which he would not like to spoil.
He also stated that he was lured to vote in favour of Patel in the Rajya Sabha election and was promised an assembly ticket, if he does so.
Chaudhary, in his affidavit submitted to the court, stated that there was discontent among several Congress leaders when Ahmed Patel was selected for the Rajya Sabha poll. Due to the discontent, the then Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Bharatsinh Solanki and Shaktisinh Gohil started threatening legislators to vote in favour of Patel, or else they will have to face suspension for a period of six-years.
The legislators were also threatened that they would not be able to contest the assembly poll from any party, or even as an independent.
He also pointed out that legislators were also taken to a resort in Bangalore, where their mobiles were taken away, and they were again threatened to vote in favour of Patel or else face the consequences.
Notably, the trial in the case, which is going to continue on Friday, is being carried out by the single judge bench of Justice Bela Trivedi. The trial in the case started a few weeks back after Patel failed in his desperate attempts to stall the trial.
He had earlier moved the high court as well as the Supreme Court questioning the maintainability of Rajput's election petition, but in vain.
Rajput has claimed in his petition that Patel had resorted to corrupt practices by bribing Congress party MLAs and exerting undue influence by issuance of whip by the party. He has questioned Election Commission of India's decision to hold two votes invalid which were casted by Congress MLAs in his favour, and allowing the votes casted by Shailesh Parmar and Mitesh Garasiya in Patel's favour.
Trial To Continue
The trial in the case, which is going to continue on Friday, is being carried out by the single judge bench of Justice Bela Trivedi. The trial in the case started a few weeks back after Patel failed in his desperate attempts to stall the trial.
