Bengaluru: With the Election Commission announcing NOTA option ahead of the crucial Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat on August 8, the top brass of Congress dispatched eminent speakers from the party's intellectual pool the AICC run and Delhi based Jawaharlal Nehru Leadership Institute (JNLI) to guide 42 MLAs on technical aspects of NOTA.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader admitted that party leaders indeed panicked about the possibility of rebel Congress MLAs exercising the NOTA option. “Therefore, JNLI trainers are trying their best to update about all technical aspects of NOTA option. The legislators have also been apprised in detail in writing about what its violation could mean,” the leader explained.

The leader added that trainers tried their best to expose the ruling BJP for spreading rumours that violation of NOTA does not invite disciplinary action against legislators.

The NOTA option was introduced by the Election Commission in 2013 following a Supreme Court ruling. While it has been used in other elections since, NOTA, as an option, will be offered during Rajya Sabha polls for the first time. Clearly, next week’s election to Rajya Sabha from Gujarat would not be a routine affair it used to be in the past. With six of its 57 MLAs resigning after veteran Kshatriya leader Shankersinh Vaghela quit, the party leadership virtually whisked away its 44 MLAs to Karnataka. Mr Ahmed Patel needs votes of at least 47 MLAs.

The Congress hopes that Mr Patel would make it with the expected 44 Congress votes, plus two from the NCP, one from a BJP rebel, and the solitary JD(U) vote of Chhotubhai Vasava, despite Nitish Kumar rejoining NDA camp.