The BJP on Monday released its fourth list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls. As was being speculated, the party announced candidature of Other Backward Caste (OBC) leader and Congress turncoat Alpesh Thakor from Gandhinagar South Assembly seat.
Thakor had won from Radhanpur Assembly seat in north Gujarat in 2017, defeating his then BJP rival Lavingji Thakor. Two years later, Thakor left Congress and joined BJP. In the 2019 bypolls, Thakor was defeated by Congress candidate Raghu Desai.
Thakor's candidature from Gandhinagar South was being speculated by party workers. Two days back, posters had appeared in Gandhinagar asking him to return to Radhanpur as a mark of protest.
The OBC leader will be taking on his Congress rival Himanshu Patel, who is said to be a popular local leader. Alpesh Thakor was part of a trio- Hardk Patel and Jignesh Mevani- who had troubled the BJP in 2017. In the past five year, Patel and Thakor changed loyalty while Mevani, who contested independently, joined Congress.
Mevani is reconstesting from Vadgam in Banaskantha district while Patel has been fielded by the BJP from Viramgam Assembly seat in Ahmedabad district.
Thakor and Patel are among about 20 Congress turncoats contesting on BJP tickets.