Even as the ruling BJP and the Congress shared honours in the Gujarat assembly bypolls on Thursday, the saffron party suffered a major setback as Alpesh Thakor and Dhavalsinh Jhala were defeated.
Congress turncoats Thakor and Jhala had joined the BJP ahead of Lok Sabha elections. There were rumors that Thakor would be made a minister if he were to win the bypoll.
While the BJP won Kheralu, Lunawada and Amraiwadi, the Congress retained Radhanpur and Bayad and captured Tharad after 15 years. Thakor had resigned from Radhanpur and Jhala from Bayad. For the BJP, it was a proud moment to capture Lunawada after three terms.
The results brought much joy to the opposition Congress that witnessed a whitewash in all the 26 Lok Sabha seats. Incidentally, Thursday's victory came less than a day after party president Sonia Gandhi approved the proposal to dissolve the panel of office-bearers and executive committee of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee. Only Amit Chavda continues as the state party president.
Chavda thanked the voters and said the electorate has rejected people who switch over to other parties for personal gains. In 2017 assembly elections too, when the the grand old party did well and restricted the BJP's tally to 99, Congress turncoats had lost.
While it is an open secret that Thakor wanted to climb the ladder of power very fast, he always claimed that he wants to work for people of his community. Even after losing the election, he said he would continue to work for his people and the party.
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In North Gujarat, Thakor had put up candidates of his Kshatriya Thakore Sena against the Congress candidates in the Lok Sabha elections.
Thakor, who, under the banner of his Kshatriya Thakore Sena, has been advocating stricter implementation of prohibition in Gujarat, had joined the Congress in the presence of Rahul Gandhi at a mega rally in Gandhinagar ahead of 2017 assembly elections.
When he switched sides before Lok Sabha election, he claimed that people of his community did not get respect in the Congress. Ironically, on Thursday in the victory procession of the Congress candidate in Bayad, a large number of flags of Kshatriya Thakore Sena could be seen. Thakor's aide Jhala was booed by the Congress workers and had to exit from the counting centre under police protection.
The loss of these two leaders also leaves the question whether they still command respect in the Kshatriya Thakore Sena as the defeat comes as a surprise. In the past, he had claimed that members of the Sena had helped the Congress even in the booth level network.
Moreover, the grapevine is a that a section of BJP's rank and file was upset of with the inclusion of these two leaders in the BJP and hence the party workers were not dedicated enough in their efforts. However, several BJP minister had campaigned in Radhanpur.
The Gujarat BJP leadership appeared stunned by the results as it was expecting to win all the six seats. Few days before the elections, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had claimed that the party would win all the six seats and its tally in the assembly will reach 107.
At a press conference, Gujarat BJP president Jitu Vaghani devoted much time to Maharashtra and Haryana results. He said the setback it suffered in the bypolls will be analysed.
One of the party leaders, Amit Thaker, said Thakor's services will be used appropriately by the party.
