OBC leader and BJP candidate Alpesh Thakor on Thursday lost the byelection to Radhanpur Assembly seat in Gujarat. Congress’ Raghubhai Desai defeated Thakor by over 3,500 votes, an official said. Thakor, who emerged as an OBC leader during the Patel quota agitation and won the Radhanpur seat in the 2017 polls on Congress’ ticket, later quit after differences with the state party leadership.
The by-election to the seat became necessary after he resigned as an MLA. He earlier opposed the inclusion of Patidar community in the Other Backward Class (OBC) category for reservation. His close aide Dhavalsinh Jhala, who also switched over to the BJP, also lost the by-election from Bayad Assembly seat.
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.
