Gujarat: Won't resign as MLA, Alpesh Thakor tells Congress

A day after the Congress approached Assembly speaker Rajendra Trivedi seeking disqualification of its dissident MLA Alpesh Thakor, the latter said on Friday that he would not resign as MLA "at any cost".

"I have resigned from posts in the Congress, not from the party's primary membership. I will not resign as MLA at any cost. People of Radhanpur elected me as their representative, and I will work for them for full five years," Thakor told reporters in response to questions about the Congress's move to get him disqualified.

Alpesh had resigned from all posts in the Congress on April 10, less than two weeks before the Lok Sabha elections in the state, alleging disrespectful treatment and betrayal from the party.

He repeated the charge on Friday.

"Whatever misbehaviour they (Congress leaders) want to do with us, they can. This is the calm before the storm. We will not tolerate it beyond a point," he said, while alleging that the Congress was responsible for the situation it was in. "The party is not winning because of internal fights. No attempts have been made to ensure discipline. People who have hurt the party are given importance.. such people are given tickets to contest elections even after losing," he said further.

The Congress filed a petition before Assembly speaker Rajendra Trivedi on Thursday seeking Alpesh's disqualification for anti-party activities. Senior Congress MLA Baldevji Thakor said that since Alpesh had resigned from Congress, and also worked against the party during elections, he could not continue as the party's MLA in the Assembly.