Not joining BJP, will stay with Congress: Alpesh Thakore

Giving rest to all speculations, Gujarat Congress leader Alpesh Thakore on Saturday said that he will continue to stay with the party and to fight for his people. It was widely speculated that the OBC leader and Congress legislator from Radhanpur in north Gujarat would leave the Congress for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It was said that he would directly get a ministerial berth. However, Thakore had denied rumours that he was preparing to join the BJP.

Earlier in September 2018, Thakore had rubbished all rumours stating that he was going join the BJP.  "I don't know who is spreading these canards at regular intervals but I want to state clearly that I am in the Congress and shall remain in the Congress," Thakore told reporters, flanked by state Congress president Amit Chavda and Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani. He had asserted: "I had joined the Congress after seeking the opinion of over 20,000 followers and today I am entrusted with national responsibility in the party, including in Bihar." There had been rumours of Thakore negotiating with the ruling BJP and that he might be accommodated as a Minister in the Vijay Rupani government. Political circles have also been speculating that he may vacate his constituency for former Minister Shankar Chaudhary.

Thakore had courted controversy for raising his voice against the Congress and supporting the BJP government's move to raise salaries for legislators in the state from Rs 70,000-plus to over Rs 1.16 lakh per month.