Gujarat OBC leader Alpesh Thakore to join Congress

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the upcoming Gujarat elections, the Congress today received a shot in the arm with OBC leader Alpesh Thakore meeting party vice president Rahul Gandhi and later announcing that he would soon join the party.

Thakore, convenor of the Gujarat OBC Ekta Manch and leader of the local Thakore Sena, has a strong appeal among backward classes, having worked actively on drug de-addiction in the state.

Thakore met Gandhi at the latter's residence this evening and was accompanied by Congress general secretary in-charge of Gujarat Ashok Gehlot and state unit chief Bharatsinh Solanki.

After meeting Gandhi, Thakore said, "Rahul Gandhi would be coming to our rally on October 23 and I will join the Congress party."

The Congress had been wooing caste-based leaders Hardik Patel, Jignesh Mavani and Thakore in poll-bound Gujarat, with Solanki inviting them to join hands to to defeat the ruling BJP.