Even as the Congress in Gujarat is yet to recover from the dual shock of two of its MLAs resigning on Friday, the opposition party got some respite when another legislator, Alpesh Thakor, on Saturday announced that he would remain with the party.
Thakor's announcement came minutes before Congress turncoat Jawhar Chavda took oath as a cabinet minister in the BJP government in the state. Chavda, the Manavadar MLA, had resigned from the Congress on Friday and joined the BJP. Seven-time MLA from Vadodara Yogesh Patel and Jamnagar MLA Dharmendrasinh Jadeja also took oath as ministers of state on Saturday.
Congress MLA from Dhangadhra Chimanbhai Sabaria had also resigned on Friday.
For more than a week, all eyes were on Thakor, who represents the Radhanpur constituency. On Friday, he had a meeting with senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel in New Delhi. Former Gujarat Congress president Arjun Modhwadia was present at the meeting.
Thakor said on Saturday that he was with the Congress and he was not unhappy with the party. He also claimed that he would not contest the Lok Sabha elections. The OBC leader did admit that at one point in time, he was unhappy with the way of functioning of some Congress leaders. But that was a thing of the past, Thakor added.
Trying to be candid, Thakor said at one point of time, he did aspire to become a minister, so that he could work more for his community when he had power. “If I had to go to the BJP, then I would have gone six months ago,” he said, adding that now he has decided to choose the “path of struggle” and that is difficult.
Thakor also claimed that his wife would never enter politics. There were rumours that he had demanded a ticket for himself or his wife before the Congress leadership in New Delhi.
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Thakor said that he would fight for the rights of the poor, unemployed, farmers and SC/ST communities.
Ahead of dates of Lok Sabha polls being announced, the political climate in Gujarat is getting hotter, with the opposition Congress alleging that the BJP is desperate to “win over” their MLAs as it was not confident of winning seats from Gujarat in the general elections.
Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, on the other hand, is on record to say that few discontented leaders of the Congress were in touch with him.
