Will remain in Congress, says Alpesh Thakor
Ahmedabad: Congress MLA from Gujarat, Alpesh Thakor Saturday dismissed reports that he would switch over to the BJP. The OBC leader also indicated against contesting upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
After meeting top brass of Congress in Delhi, the Radhanpur MLA told reporters here that the speculation that he might join the BJP was not true.
"I am now very clear that I have to fight for my people. So I will stay with Congress and will continue to support this party. I want respect and rights for my people," Thakor said, adding that he would continue fight for the poor, jobless youths, farmers, and people from OBC, SC and ST communities.
Referring to remarks attributed to his detractors on his possible entry to the BJP for a ministerial position, Thakor said he was "neither sold nor greedy".
"Had I been greedy, I would have joined the Congress six months ago," he said.
In the same breath, Thakor also admitted that though he was not happy with Gujarat Congress leadership the matter has been resolved now.
His statement comes a day after two Congress MLAs, Jawahar Chavda and Parsotam Sabariya resigned from the party.
Chavda was inducted as a Cabinet minister in the Vijay Rupani government Saturday, after he joined the BJP.
Political circles were abuzz with rumours that Thakor might also cross over to the ruling party.
Thakor, who has been appointed as the Congress Secretary and party co-incharge in Bihar, also denied reports that he wanted Lok Sabha ticket for his wife.
"My wife will never enter politics," he said.
When asked whether he wanted to contest Parliamentary polls, Thakor said he was not interested in such proposition.
"I am not harbouring any such thought. I am not interested. I must tell you that I want to work in Gujarat. I have even requested my party that I don't want to remain a national executive but wanted to work for my people in Gujarat," he said.
Thakor, who had rallied OBC communities against the quota demand of Patels, had joined the Congress before the 2017 Gujarat assembly polls.
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Kejriwal resorting to 'vendetta politics', says BJP after MP Sandeep Pathak booked
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Saturday accused Aam Aadmi Party's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal of vendetta politics after Punjab Police booked Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak, who recently defected to the BJP.
In an X post, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claimed that Kejriwal is misusing the Punjab Police to settle political scores, and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has become a party to it.
"Two FIRs have been filed against Sandeep Pathak, who until recently was in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a Rajya Sabha MP and general secretary (organisation). What is baffling is the shameless, brazen vendetta politics being pursued by Arvind Kejriwal, with Bhagwant Mann complicit in it," Poonawalla said.
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"It is clear this has been done out of vendetta politics by Kejriwal, who is extremely vengeful and vindictive, and misuses the Punjab Police to pursue such political vendetta," he alleged.
Questioning the timing of the FIRs, Poonawalla said, "If these cases existed from the beginning, why were FIRs not filed earlier? If he was corrupt, why was he kept in the party for so long, especially when he was the general secretary (organisation)? Has any new material surfaced in the last few days, or has the alleged corruption occurred only now?"
He alleged that Kejriwal has an "old habit" of targeting political opponents and dissenters.
"We have seen how he has used the police against rivals, including Congress leaders. This is his old habit," Poonawalla said, referring to the withdrawal of Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh's security.
Poonawalla claimed that several leaders who had left AAP over the years, including Yogendra Yadav, Mayank Gandhi, Ashish Khetan, Ashutosh and Alka Lamba, were "hounded".
He accused the party of failing to introspect.
"Instead of introspecting on how they have changed -- from Anna to Lalu, from Lokpal to corruption -- they are indulging in vendetta politics, trying to victimise people using the strong arm of the law. This reflects an Emergency-like mindset and a dictatorial, Hitlerian mindset," he said.
According to sources, two FIRs have been lodged against Pathak under non-bailable sections.
No further details about the FIRs have been disclosed yet.
On April 24, the AAP suffered a jolt when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs quit, alleging that Arvind Kejriwal's party has strayed from its principles, values and core morals.
Of the seven MPs -- who were Pathak, Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney and Swati Maliwal -- six were from Punjab.
Later, Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan officially accepted their merger with the BJP, reducing AAP's strength in the Upper House to three.
