Cong’s OBC face in Gujarat Alpesh Thakor quits party

Ahmedabad: Finally, Gujarat Congress MLA and young OBC leader Alpesh Thakor resigned from the party on Wednesday.  Talk of his resigning from the Congress and joining the BJP has been going around for quite some time. The desertion has come as a big jolt for the Congress, just before the elections.

In his resignation letter to state party chief Amit Chawda, Mr Thakor wrote: ‘I had joined the politics to work for my community and for poor. I wouldn’t have joined the Congress in its worst times if I was here only for power. But let me say that I am feeling betrayed by the party. Party has not recognised my contribution. I feel insulted.’

Talking to the media later in the day, Mr Thakor clarified that he is not resigning as an MLA. Asked if he was joining the BJP, he said, “I am not joining any party right now. I will continue to work for the community and will show our strength to the Congress.”  

In response to his allegations, Congress spokesperson Jairajsinh Parmar said, “He should clarify where and on which matter he was betrayed by the party.”

Thakor Sena is an outfit of the youth of the Thakor community in North Gujarat led by Mr Thakor.

Yesterday, the outfit directed Mr Thakor to resign from the Congress within 24 hours because the community is being neglected by the Congress and there is no reason to stay with the party now.

The Thakor Sena sprang up during Hardik Patel’s Patidar reservation agitation in the state in 2015.  It had opposed any move to include the Patidar community in the OBC reservation quota.

Alpesh Thakor joined the Congress ahead of the assembly elections in the state in 2017. He fought on a Congress ticket from Radhanpur assembly constituency and won.

Mr Thakor’s resignation spells trouble for the Congress, especially in the Banaskantha, Patan and Mehsana Lok Sabha constituencies in North Gujarat, where the Thakor community has a sizable number of votes.

Political observers believe that he may not join the BJP immediately because he will have to resign as an MLA if he switches parties. But his Thakor Sena is expected to work for the BJP in this election.