OBC leader Alpesh Thakor to join Congress

New Delhi [India], Oct. 21 (ANI): Thakor community and OBC Ekta Manch leader Alpesh Thakor on Saturday confirmed that he would be joining the Congress Party, ahead of elections in poll-bound Gujarat.

"Rahul Gandhi would be coming to our rally on October 23, and I will join the Congress party," Alpesh told reporters here.

In the run up to the Gujarat election, the Congress has promised to give Patidars 20 percent reservations under the "economically backward classes" quota.

Following this, Thakor, along with Ashok Gehlot and Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki earlier reached the residence of Congress Party vice president Rahul Gandhi.

Solanki had invited Patidar leader Hardik Patel and other caste-based leaders to join in the fight against the BJP in the Gujarat Assembly polls. However, Patel on Saturday turned down the Congress' invitation to fight the Gujarat Assembly election jointly, saying the polls were not a BJP-Congress fight.

The 14th legislative assembly election in Gujarat is to be held by the end of 2017 as the term of 13th assembly ends on January 22, 2018.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is heading his party's poll campaign in Gujarat. He is eyeing to dethrone the ruling BJP in Gujarat.

The last Congress government in Gujarat was led by Chhabildas Mehta from February 17, 1994 to March 13, 1995. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI