Cong seeks disqualification of OBC leader Alpesh Thakor

The Congress party on Thursday moved Gujarat assembly with an appeal to disqualify OBC leader Alpesh Thakor as an MLA due to his resignation from the party and his alleged "anti-party activities." The chief whip of the Congress party submitted a written application to the secretary of assembly speaker who would hear the arguments from both the sides before arriving at a conclusion.

The 42-year-old Thakor had shot to fame in the run-up to December 2017 state assembly elections. As a chief of Gujarat Kshatriya Thakor Sena, he had moblised the voters against BJP along with Patidar leader Hardik Patel and scheduled caste leader Jignesh Mevani.

Ashwin Kotwal, chief whip of Congress, confirmed the move aimed at disqualifying Thakor as MLA from Radhanpur constituency. "We have annexed his resignation letter and proof of his indulgence in anti-party activities especially in Banaskantha Lok Sabha and Unjha (in Mehsana) assembly seats," Kotwal told DH over phone. "Following several rounds of consultations, the party decided to move against Thakor and hence, this application," he added.

Barely two weeks before the Lok Sabha polls, the popular OBC leader from north Gujarat, Thakor announced his resignation from all posts in Congress, while alleging that "There had been betrayals in the party and there is no dignity left. Tickets are being sold by the party for money." The Congress party categorically denied the allegations, but the damage was already done. Thakor's resignation in the middle of polls has dented the Congress votes in north Gujarat.

Despite repeated attempts, Thakor couldn't be reached for comments. His phone remained switched off. The Congress, however, has not declared its stand on two other MLAs, Dhavalsinh Zala and Bharatsinh Thakor, who resigned from the party along with Thakor. Thakor has been speculated to be joining BJP but the party has not confirmed it yet.