Gandhinagar :

OBC leader Alpesh Thakor, whose joining of Congress here in presence of Rahul Gandhi was disputed by ruling BJP questioning his already contesting a local body poll on congress ticket, his association with NSUI, the student wing of the party and his father being a former district president of the party in North Gujarat, claimed that congress would get more than 125 seats in the assembly polls in the state this year.

Alpesh, who had come to lime-light after a counter-agitation of OBC’s against Hardik Patel led Patidar quota stir two years ago, claimed that he has decided to join Congress on the basis of an opinion survey involving 25 lakh families in Gujarat including 2 lakh Patidars.
During the rally at Ramkatha ground here he reiterated that the BJP government in Gujarat has failed on various fronts including complete liquor ban and employment to youths. ‘Owing to liquor every year 10 to 15 thousand youths in Gujarat were dying untimely death,’ he claimed.
He said that the claim of getting 150 + seats by BJP was false and misleading. ‘Congress would win over 125 seats this time around. The wine and money distribution won’t work this time around. We will eat the bread, onion and chili of our home and made our own government. We must not miss the chance in 2017. My supporters must vote for Congress even if I am jailed or even eliminated,’ he said adding that he has joined Congress denying offers of money and posts owing to honour and ideological similarities and faith in Rahul ji.

‘I have not done any seat related deal with Congress. I have joined it as it has given us honour and I assure that I won’t ditch it till my last breath,’ he said.

He said that he has no problem with someone leveling allegation of caste based politics as he was doing whatever he does for employment to youths, help farmers, change the education system and unseat the corrupt rule from Gandhinagar.

Alpesh also said that there was similarity in his, Hardik Patel and Jignesh Mewani’s agitations. He said that they were fighting for similar demands which were denied by the government.
He alleged that there was corruption in Banaskantha flood relief work. He also questioned the non completion of around 40 thousand km of minor canal network of Narmda project.

Desh Gujarat