Gandhinagar, Jul 18 (UNI) Former Congress MLAs Alpesh Thakor and Dhawalsinh Jhala on Thursday formally joined BJP at the party headquarters near here in presence of state president Jeetu Vaghani.
Vaghani formally welcomed both the leaders by putting the saffron scarf on their shoulders.
On the occasion, Alpesh said that he had come to the BJP fold due to the able and nationalist leadership of PM Narenada Modi and Amit Shah and other leaders in whom he can repose faith. He said that he left Congress because it was faction ridden and was unable to win faith of even the new entrants. It has forgotten its 'mool dharma' and ideology.
To a query he said that his outfit Thakor Sena was a social organization and it would continue to exist even after his joining BJP. BJP governments have also helped the outfit. A maha sammelan of the outfit would be held and various decisions about its future course would be taken. He also said that his campaign against liquor consumption also needed social involvement. Vijay Rupani government had made strict law against illegal liquor business.
He also said that he would contest by-election from Radhanpur assembly seat only if the BJP leadership/parliamentary board decides so. "I will abide by all the decisions of the party leadership. I won't even complain even if the party does not field me as a candidate," he added.
Vaghani on the occasion said that he welcomed both the leaders who have joined the party with the intention of service to Thakor and OBC community. They have left all the posts and membership of Congress to join the BJP. He said that their capabilities would be utilised for betterment of the OBC community. PM Modi also belonged to the same OBC community. To a query about whether Thakor would get a ministerial berth as per speculations, BJP president did not gave a clear answer and said that Thakor had joined the party as an activist.
Notably the Gujarat Kshatriya Thakor Sena core committee had on July 15 given its formal consent for Thakor and Jhala to join BJP.
Former Radhanpur MLA Alpesh who had resigned from all posts of Congress on April 10 and his aide and former Congress MLA from Bayad Jhala had after cross voting for BJP candidates in July 5 RS by-polls in Gujarat had also resigned from the assembly. Alpesh had alleged that Congress had betrayed him and his community. Alpesh had joined Congress in October 2017 days before the last assembly elections in Gujarat in presence of Rahul Gandhi and was soon after made the national secretary of the party. He was also made co-incharge of the party for Bihar.
Congress has however said that the party would ensure that both were disqualified from contesting elections for 6 years due to their anti party activities and defiance of the party whip.
UNI RAJ SHK1831