Earlier, the Congress party had offered tickets to two other feisty young leaders — Hardik Patel, and Jignesh Mevani.
Ahead of Assembly elections in the politically significant state of Gujarat, Congress on Saturday received a shot in the arm as it succeeded in roping in Alpesh Thakor, 39, an OBC leader, in its effort to build an anti-BJP front.
But BJP too strengthened its hand as Patidar leaders Reshma Patel and Varun Patel joined the fold after meeting with party Chief Amit Shah on Saturday.
Earlier, the Congress party had offered tickets to two other feisty young leaders — Hardik Patel, and Jignesh Mevani. While Patel, who is only 24 years old, declined because of his age, Thakor took the offer; Dalit leader Mevani has said that he will meet Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi before taking any decision.
"If Patel wants to contest elections in future, the Congress is ready to give him ticket. Mevani is leading an agitation for the rights of Dalits and Thakor is fighting issues such as corruption and alcohol addiction. The Congress invites them to join hands with us," said Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee president Bharatsinh Solanki.
Soon after news broke of Congress extending its tickets, Patel took to Twitter to say that he would decline the offer. "Mujhe chunav nahi ladna aur chunav ladney ka humara swarth bhi nahi hai. Humein adhikaar chahiye aur nyay, hum ahankar ke saamne lad rahein hai. Jeet humari hogi. (I do not want to contest elections and I have never had the interest to do so. We want our rights and justice, and we are fighting against arrogance. We will win)."
Patel is the face of the Patidar movement, which has been agitating for reservations in colleges and government jobs.
While Patel kept the Congress guessing on Saturday, on October 15 at a rally in Ahmedabad, he had said, "If the Congress party wins, it will be a vote against dictatorship."
Mevani who took centre-stage amidst the Dalit movement, especially after the Una flogging incident, said that he will speak to the leaders of his community before deciding. "We need to remove the BJP from power in Gujarat. Our movement is a political and a social one; I will meet the leaders of my community and decide," he said, adding that he will meet Rahul in Delhi.
Rahul is to fly to Gujarat on Monday to welcome Thakor into the fold at a rally organised in Banaskantha town. The rally has been organised by the OBC, SC, ST Ekta Manch floated by Thakor. The OBCs account for over 54% of Gujarat's population. The Congress is expecting to bank upon Thakor's recently-won popularity to win them over.
On Saturday, Thakor arrived in Delhi and had a lengthy meeting with Rahul at his residence. Also present for the discussion were Congress President's political secretary Ahmed Patel, Gujarat PCC president Bharatsinh Solanki and Gujarat-incharge AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot. Son of Gandhinagar district Congress President, Thakor also headed the Youth Congress in the district and so Rahul welcomed his home-coming, Congress sources said. Emerging from Rahul's residence, Thakor announced that he was joining the Congress to fight for the poor and the downtrodden.
He said the trinity of himself, Hardik and Jignesh would build a massive youth movement to defeat the BJP in December's Assembly elections.
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