Congress MLAs Alpesh Thakor, Zala quit Gujarat Assembly after voting in RS bypoll

AHMEDABAD: Congress MLAs Alpesh Thakor and Dhavalsinh Zala resigned from the Gujarat Assembly, apparently after voting against the party candidates in the Rajya Sabha bypoll Friday.

"I have cast my vote for honest national leadership that wants to take the country to new heights. I cast vote as per my inner voice," Thakor said after quitting the Assembly.

"I got nothing other than mental stress being in Congress. I am free from that burden," the OBC leader said.


Voting for the bypolls to the two Rajya Sabha seats in Gujarat was held at the Assembly complex in Gandhinagar today. While the BJP has fielded External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and OBC leader Juglaji Thakor, the Congress has nominated Chandrika Chudasama and Gaurav Pandya.

Both the BJP candidates are set to win as the Election Commission had issued separate notifications for the two vacancies.

The Congress had earlier taken its MLAs to a resort in Palanpur in North Gujarat to avoid cross voting, but Thakor and Zala were expected to defy the party whip. Thakor had earlier severed his ties with the party and had only retained his membership of the Assembly.

Opposition leader Paresh Dhanani said the party would seek a six year ban on the duo from contesting elections, something the Congress had been trying against Thakor since he parted ways with them,

With the resignation of Thakor and and Zala the strength of the Congress in the 182-member Assembly has come down to 69.