Gujarat RS poll: NCP yet to decide on extending support to Ahmed Patel

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has yet to decide on extending its support to the Congress candidate Ahmed Patel in the Rajya Sabha election. The Sharad Pawar-led party, which had contested the assembly poll held in 2012 in an alliance with the Congress party in Gujarat, currently has two legislators Kandhal Jadeja and Jayant Patel.

NCP leader and former Union minister Praful Patel told DNA, '' The decision will be informed to party's legislator on Tuesday morning before the polling starts.''  Patel, who is the NCP in-charge for Gujarat, declined to divulge further details. 

The polling will take place for three Rajya Sabha seats in Gujarat tomorrow.  BJP nominee Amit Shah and Union minister Smriti Irani are comfortably placed to win. However, Ahmed Patel, who has served four terms in the upper house, is striving to muster necessary support  to win the third seat especially since six Congress legislators decided to switch sides.  NCP spokesman Nawab Malik also confirmed that party will convey its decision to two legislators on Tuesday morning when the polling begins for the Rajya Sabha seats.

Another NCP leader, who is the member of the national executive, said currently there is no Congress led United Progressive Alliance which led the government at the Centre during 2004 and 2009.