Gandhinagar: Core committee meeting of Alpesh Thakor-led Kshatriya Thakor Sena on Tuesday evening took decision to withdraw support to Congress party which was extended in year 2017. The core committee meeting also took a decision that Alpesh Thakor should stick to Thakor Sena and give resignation from all posts of Congress party within next 24 hours.

Dhavalsinh Zala, a Congress MLA from Bayad in North Gujarat and top aide of Alpesh late in the evening on Tuesday shared this detail with media through a message.Dhavalsinh and his mentor Alpesh both were unavailable for comment.

The members of core committee who met today in Ahmedabad after Chintan Shibir of outfit told media persons that they worked for Congress party since 2017 but got nothing in return. They were being ignored by district level units of party. They were termed responsible for defeat of Congress in general elections of assembly in 2017. They were ignored in post distribution and they were not consulted during ticket distribution for Lok Sabha election.

Core committee members said, Alpesh was not a member of this committee. They said they want progress of community in education and other spheres. They said they want recognition of importance of Thakor community. They said Alpesh had in past accepted all decisions taken by core committee and same would happen this time.

When asked whether core committee members would support Alpesh if he decides to join BJP, the members said that shall be decided later on in another meeting of core committee.

District unit office bearers of Thakor Sena were present in this meeting from Saurashtra, Central Gujarat and North Gujarat.

Alpesh Thakor is All India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary with charge of Bihar state unit of party. He is sulking for long for various reasons. The latest it is believed is absence of his name in the list of start campaigners of party in which Hardik Patel has found mention. Alpesh is also reportedly upset with party’s choice of candidates in Lok Sabha election. Alpesh has said in off the record talks that he finds it difficult to do enough to uplift the community by being a part of opposition party. He believes he can do much more if he is in ruling party. Alpesh has admired Prime Minister Narendra Modi on number of occasion with frankness. He is in cordial relation with Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. Alpesh has paid visits to Rupani number of time in recent months. In past few months, whenever media persons asked Alpesh whether he plans to join BJP, Alpesh has replied that he would do whatever his outfit (Thakor Sena) would decide.

It’s not clear whether Alpesh would join BJP anytime soon. It is also not clear that whether he would give resignation from the post of MLA. It is not clear whether his aide – at least couple of them MLAs – would resign or not, but it seems clear that Alpesh is all set to give resignation from various organizational posts of Congress party within next few hours. With this neither he, nor his supporters including three Congress MLAs would work for Congress party in Lok Sabha election.

Inactive Thakor Sena may affect the results of Sabarkantha, Banaskantha, Patan and Mahesana Lok Sabha seats. Thakors also in lesser capacity influence the results of other constituencies such as Gandhinagar, Kheda, Surendranagar, Panchmahal among others. Thakor community has been politically Congress supporting. However some Thakor community leaders of BJP such as Dilipsinh Thakor, Bharatsinh Dabhi (Thakor) also enjoy good hold in their own pockets. While Dilipsinh Thakor is cabinet minister, Bharatsinh Thakor is BJP candidate on Patan Lok Sabha seat. Congress’s Thakor face has been Jagdish Thakor who is candidate on Patan Lok Sabha seat. Refuting news reports that Alpesh was upset because Jagdish was given ticket to contest Patan seat, Jagdish Thakor had said that Alpesh had conveyed the party that he didn’t want to contest Patan seat.

DeshGujarat