Gandhinagar: In seemingly another attempt to lay ‘legal seige’ on its dissident MLA Alpesh Thakor, Congress today pasted its whip at his residence here which instructed Thakor and all other party MLAs to remain present during the July 5 Rajyasabha bye-poll on two Gujarat seats and caste vote in favour of the two party candidates.

A similar whip letter would also be pasted on the residence of Thakor’s close aide and dissident MLA Dhaval Zala. both of whom are also not participating in the ongoing monsoon cum budget session.

Five party MLAs led by party whip in Gujarat Assembly Ashwin Kotwal reached Thakor’s residence here this afternoon and pasted the whip issued on the party letter-head on the wall as he was not present there.

Party MLAs Ganben Thakor, C J Chavda and Baldevji Thakor were also present on the occasion.

Kotwal said that as per the laid down procedure the whip letter has been pasted at the wall near the entrance of his residence here because he could not be contacted physically. Even though his residence was open, it was said that he was not there.

He said that if Thakor defied the whip then he would become liable to disqualification as per the apex court ruling.

Notably, Alpesh had on April 10 announced resign from all posts of the party but said that he won’t give up MLA post. He later told Gujarat high court during hearing of Congress plea that he has not quit the primary membership of the party. The court had yesterday rejected the plea saying that the decision on disqualification of Thakor on the basis of anti party activities could be taken by the speaker.

All the other Congress MLAs would be taken to Mount Abu today in an apparent attempt to keep the flock together.

DeshGujarat