GANDHINAGAR: The BJP on Thursday announced a third candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections from Gujarat . The decision has sent shock waves across the Congress high command as the move has the potential to jeopardise Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel’s battle for survival in the Upper House polls.The fact that BJP chose to prop as its third candidate, Balwantsinh Rajput , minutes after he resigned as a Congress MLA, has shown the depth of the BJP determination to ambush Patel as it is designed to rally Congress MLAs , led by Shankarsinh Vaghela . The fact that Rajput is a close relative of Vaghela has further advertised the BJP-Vaghela camp’s close coordination against Patel’s attempt to renew his ticket to Rajya Sabha.That BJP has fielded three candidates against its easily winnable two RS seats means it is taking a full-blown shot at Patel, who represents the very core of Sonia establishment. With now four candidates (including Patel) in the ring with three seats, the third slot will have to be settled through preferential votes, something that can keep Patel on tenterhooks more so as more Congress rebel MLAs have started coming out. “I am just praying Ahmed bhai survives this test,” said a worried Congress MP in Delhi.Soon after Rajput resigned from his MLA seat along with another party rebel Tejashree Patel, he reached the state BJP headquarters Kamalam and joined saffron party, only to be nominated as the third candidate for the Upper House along with Amit Shah and Smriti Irani. All three will file the nominations on Friday. Bringing further bad news for Congress, yet another party legislator from Bijapur in North Gujarat too resigned from the party and joined BJP in the presence of Amit Shah, who had reached BJP headquarters here. It is learnt that more Congress legislators are now set to resign from Congress and move to BJP.To make it back to RS, Ahmed Patel would need a minimum of 47 votes out of 182 in the assembly --already Chhotu Vasava, the lone JD(U) MLA and two NCP MLAs have pledged their support for him. However, Congress with its 54 MLAs, now anticipates some 10 MLAs to defect either with Vaghela or to BJP and with the open voting for RS, the defection if at all will be clearer.Interestingly, Vaghela, soon after Ahmed Patel’s media interaction, launched an all-out attack on Congress Gujarat-in-charge Ashok Gehlot. Vaghela sought immediate withdrawal of Gehlot’s comment on him that he is being arm twisted by CBI and ED inquiries and said unless these comments are withdrawn, he would resign ahead of Rajya Sabha elections.Sources maintain that Congress was in a bind to nominate Patel also because of the fact that any other decision would have sent out a message that the party has developed cold feet post Vaghela’s exit, which would have seriously impacted the poll prospects of the party. Meanwhile in an interesting media interaction, Gujarat minister for law and parliamentary affairs Pradeepsinh Jadeja on Wednesday had attacked the Opposition and said Congress has become fearful post cross-voting in Presidential election and now misinterpreting laws to stifle the “inner voice” of its legislators.(With inputs from Our Political Bureau, Delhi)