india

Updated: Jan 16, 2019 07:22 IST

Congress MLA and other backward classes leader Alpesh Thakor, who has locked horns with the Gujarat party leadership, is now at the receiving end of a rebellion within the Kshatriya Thakor Sena (KTS) that was the launch-pad of his political career.

The rift in the KTS is likely to help the BJP, which has been trying to woo Thakor’s OBC community that forms 12% of Gujarat’s over 6 crore population, ahead of the general elections. In December, the BJP made inroads in the Congress’s stronghold OBC belt of Jasdan when turn-coat Kunwarji Bawaliya (he was earlier in the Congress) won the by-election. Bawaliya can help woo Kolis, who are estimated to be around 22% of the state population.

The BJP was quick to milk the divide in the KTS. “The Thakors are unhappy with the Congress. The BJP is always concerned about their issues. We will talk to party president Amit Shah about their feelings,’’ said BJP OBC leader, S P Thakor.

Even as a faction of the KTS led by vice-president Ramesh Thakor met on Tuesday in Gandhinagar to condemn Alpesh’s “political affiliation”, the 43-year-old Radhanpur MLA declared new office-bearers in the outfit that was formed in 2011 to fight issues like alcohol addiction among Thakors and unemployment. By opposing the Patidars’ agitation for OBC status, the KTS had gained centre stage in Gujarat politics.

Alpesh, who last week openly expressed dissatisfaction with the Congress’s “state of affairs” in Gujarat and wanted change in the “system”, on Tuesday sacked Ramesh and appointed Congress MLA, Dhruvsinh Thakor, in his place.

“In 2017, he (Alpesh) joined BJP without consulting the community. The KTS has been turned into a political outfit from a social one. Most of the KTS office-bearers he appointed today are from the Congress,’’ Ramesh alleged. The KTS is an organisation representing the Thakor community in Gujarat.

Alpesh said, “New members have been appointed to make KTS stronger.”

Cracks in the KTS have been appearing since rumours began floating that Alpesh could join the BJP, which he has denied so far.

The BJP, which faces the challenge of retaining all 26 seats in Gujarat in the Lok Sabha elections, believes the Centre’s decision to introduce 10% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for the general category will help the party woo back Patidars.

The support of the OBC communities is equally crucial for the party to stop the revival of the Congress when Narendra Modi seeks a second term as Prime Minister this April-May.