The Congress has warned that any move to defy the party's order to vote for Mr Patel will attract heavy penalty, including legal action that could mean being barred from contesting elections. At least 11 Congress MLAs had voted for the BJP's nominee Ram Nath Kovind in the presidential election last month instead of Meira Kumar, backed by the opposition. The BJP has rubbished the Congress' allegation that it is coercing and attempting to bribe the opposition party's MLAs to scuttle Ahmed Patel's re-election.