New Delhi: The 44 Congress legislators from Gujarat staying at a resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru since the last nine days will return to their home state today. 

The legislators were flown to the Karnataka capital to keep them safe from alleged poaching attempts by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections on August 8. Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel is the party nominee for the polls to the Upper House.

Following the resignation of six of its 57 MLAs in Gujarat, the Congress moved 44 legislators to Bengaluru on July 29. At least half-a-dozen of the remaining legislators are reportedly loyalists of Shankersinh Vaghela, a former chief minister recently expelled from the party. Patel, the political secretary of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, needs the support of 45 MLAs to be re-elected and the Congress is doing everything it can to keep its flock together.

Confirming the return plan, Mohansinh Rathwa, nine-time MLA from Chhota Udaipur, said the he and his colleagues were grateful to the people of Karnataka.”The people here have been very hospitable towards us and we owe them a debt of gratitude.”

Denying the reports that the MLAs would first be flown to Delhi to meet Sonia, Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil said they would be returning to Gujarat “directly”. Rathwa said Patel’s victory was a certainty.  “He will sail through in the elections.”