With 2019 Lok Sabha polls coming closer, the stage is being set for new political equations in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home State Gujarat as OBC leader and Congress MLA Alpesh Thakor may join the BJP.
The 42-year-old Radhanpur MLA’s future course of action is the hottest topic of discussion in political circles of Gujarat. If sources in the Congress as well as BJP have to be believed, Thakor is in contact with the top leadership of the saffron brigade for the past few months.
He had founded ‘OBC, SC, ST Ekta Manch’, to counter Hardik Patel’s agitation. His rise in the Gujarat’s political arena is at supersonic speed. Playing his cards smartly, just couple of months before the 2017 assembly polls Thakor joined the oldest political party in India and went on to become a Member of the Legislative Assembly.
Sources close to Thakor claimed that the OBC leader was not happy with the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC), as the GPCC leadership didn’t give due importance to him. Thakor remained silent over surging petroleum prices and inflation, says a senior GPCC leader adding that even during the recently completed monsoon session of Gujarat Assembly his participation to oppose ruling party was extremely cold.
In fact on the issue of increase in the salary of MLAs, Thakor criticised Congress legislators for supporting the ruling party’s Bill. He publicly said that on one hand Congress party was up in arms against BJP for increasing prices, but they wouldn’t mind taking huge hike in salary which only add burden on the taxpayers.
Thakor’s entry in BJP means a lot for Gujarat BJP at a time when a section of Patidar community is not happy with the ruling party in wake of ongoing pro-quota reservation stir of the 25-year-old Hardik Patel. If Thakor would join the saffron brigade, the deficit of votes due to a section of Patidar community’s slat towards Congress would be compensated, said a senior BJP leader requesting anonymity.
“In case Alpesh would join BJP, he is expected to contest from Patan Lok Sabha constituency in North Gujarat. That is not enough. Along with him five other sitting Congress MLAs belonging to Thakor community will also join the saffron party,” he claimed.
Just four days ago former Congress MLA and Patidar leader from Surat Dhiru Gajera had resigned from the party with his nine supporters. Gajera has also indicated to join BJP. Strong Koli leader of Saurashtra region who elected from Jasdan constituency in Rajkot district on Congress ticket in 2017 assembly polls had also joined the BJP in July earlier this year.