Alpesh Thakor claims he never resigned from Congress

Popular other backward castes (OBC) leader from north Gujarat Alpesh Thakor, who had resigned from Congress at the peak of Lok Sabha campaign, told the Gujarat high court on Wednesday that he had only quit various party posts but never resigned from the party's primary membership.

In an affidavit, Thakor told the high court that on April 10, he had resigned from seven posts which he held in the party but he didn't quit from the primary membership of the party. He said that he never sent "original copy to the president of the party but it appears that on the basis of letter of alleged resignation sent by the answering respondent (Thakor) to the president of the party on the WhatsApp (personal chatting software platform), the disqualification application is filed by the petitioner before the speaker."

The Congress through its chief whip Ashwin Kotwal has moved high court seeking direction to the speaker of the state assembly to disqualify Thakor as an MLA and restrain him from attending assembly and voting in the upcoming Rajya Sabha by-polls.

On the other hand, speaker Rajendra Trivedi has also filed an affidavit through an officer of the assembly stating under the provisions of schedule 10 of the constitution, the issue is "not subject to judicial review before a final decision is taken by respondent no-1 (speaker)."

The speaker added in the affidavit that before deciding the case of the petitioner, Thakor needs to be given sufficient time. The high court will hear the matter on Thursday again.