Congress turncoats Alpesh Thakor, Zala get BJP tickets

Other Backward Caste (OBC) leaders and Congress turncoats Alpesh Thakor and Dhavalsinh Zala are among the six candidates that the BJP has fielded for the coming byelections in Gujarat. Both Thakor and Zala had left the Congress in the peak of 2019 Lok Sabha elections and supported the BJP in north Gujarat, the stronghold of these OBC leaders.

The announcement of the names came hours after Union Home Minister Amit Shah landed in Ahmedabad late on Sunday night. Sources said that Thakor’s nomination was certain from Radhanpur Assembly seat but Zala’s name in the list was “a bit surprising.” Zala will be contesting from Bayad seat from where he had resigned before joining BJP. 

Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani and three others party officials will be accompanying Thakor for his nomination on Monday. For Zala, Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja, party’s vice-president Gordhan Zadafia and other leaders will be present. The four other candidates for the bypolls are Jagdish Patel from Amraiwadi in Ahmedabad, Jivraj Patel from Tharad, Ajmal Thakor from Tharad and Jignesh Sevak from Lunawada constituency.

Radhanpur and Bayad, both considered to be OBC stronghold seats, fell vacant after Thakor and Zala resigned. Four other seats fell vacant after BJP MLAs- Parbat Patel, Bharatsinh Dabhi, Hasmukh Patel and Ratansinh Rathod won Lok Sabha polls.