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Updated October 25th, 2019 at 01:09 IST

Alpesh Thakor loses from his constituency in Gujarat by-polls

BJP candidate from Randhanpur Alpesh Thakor lost from his constituency in the Gujarat by-polls, results of which were declared on Thursday

Reported by: Priyanka Sharma
Alpesh Thakore
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While counterparts of the Alpesh Thakor had already meticulously chosen carpet colour of the office he will hold when he became a Cabinet Minister, a glum Thakor was seen in Radhanpur on Thursday telling the media, 'I accept my defeat.' Many statements had been made by both Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress (INC) about Alpesh Thakor contesting as a BJP candidate from the constituency he had won from in 2017 as a Congress candidate. The Congress party was not very pleased with the way Thakor had left the party when he publically spoke ill of several of the senior leaders of the Congress party including Rajeev Satav, Bharatsinh Solanki and many others.

READ | Kerala Bypolls: LDF Wins 3 Seats, UDF One

Alpesh Thakor's exit from Congress

He claimed that he did not get enough room to do what he needed to do for his community. He also publically accepted that he had cross voted for the BJP in by-poll of Rajya Sabha Elections in July. After the vote, he had also marched right into Gujarat Assembly Speakers office and resigned from his posts in the party and as an MLA of Radhanpur. While Alpesh had been leading a negative campaign in Radhanpur, his opposition and replacement as the Congress candidate - Raghubhai Desai had also been lashing out against Alpesh and how he failed the locals. Another factor that played a significant part in Alpesh losing his constituency was several.leaders and the support system that he had left behind in INC when he left the party.

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Thakor Sena had always been the backbone of the voter base for Alpesh Thakor. He himself, from time to time has accepted that he will do whatever the Sena wants him to. When Thakor joined BJP, while it might have looked like Thakor Sena was giving their overwhelming support but that seemed to be completely cosmetic. Since, many of the Thakor Sena leaders who are based in Radhanpur, were not very pleased with Alpesh playing party politics on their expense. Several independent leaders had also mushroomed in Radhanpur to fight elections in lok sabha and the by'-polls as well.

"We see a lot of faces that emerge, but they end up playing for their own power. We want someone who can deliver for the people of Radhanpur. Not someone who is more focused about becoming the national leader," one of the local Thakor Sena leaders shared with Republic TV.

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Another one of the drawbacks of Alpesh might have been proved as Geniben Thakor, a former close counterpart of Alpesh and congress MLA from Vav. She, many believe, had been at the epicentre of lobbying the local Thakor Sena leaders against Alpesh and to continue to give their support to the Congress party.

"This is only showing that people are giving their support to congress and that it was never about Alpesh. It was about Congress party," a jovial Geniben said.

BJP cadres express disappointment after Thakor joins party

While Alpesh Thakor only spoke to the media very briefly in Radhanpur, he refused to meet with anyone in his house after that. Many also believe that there were a lot of cadres who were not happy with Alpesh coming to BJP and being given a ticket. Various cadres of Shaker Chaudhary and other leaders of BJP were eyeing for a ticket for Radhanpur by-polls as well. Chaudhary, in fact, had been helping Alpesh in campaigning in the run-up to by-polls as well. However, party workers seemed less than thrilled that the BJP leadership had awarded yet another turncoat.

"There are several leaders who have paid their dues in the party, have worked hard and we have worked hard for them on the ground. At the last moment, it is not okay that a person who bad-mouthed the BJP when in opposition is awarded when he joins the party," one of the BJP workers said.

READ | Siddaramaiah Calls Maharashtra, Haryana Elections A 'setback For BJP'

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Published October 24th, 2019 at 17:56 IST

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