In an exclusive interview to The Quint on Tuesday afternoon, OBC leader and new Congress entrant Alpesh Thakor lashed out at the ruling BJP government in Gujarat, equating the much touted model of development in the state to a hollow promise.
Vikas is a myth for the poor, for the Dalit, for the farmer, for the OBCs. I respect Modi a lot, but his Gujarat model of development is a failure. The farmers are in debt, the youth are unemployed. Government schools are in shambles and prohibition is a joke. What development are you talking of?Alpesh Thakor
Watch the full interview here.
The Promise of a Consolidated OBC Votebank
After weeks of wooing, Thakor officially joined the Congress on Monday, accompanied by huge fanfare and the presence of party vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
What makes Thakor so important in this Gujarat election? The numbers.
Thakor is the founder of the OSS (OBC, SC and ST) Ekta Manch, and has positioned himself as the voice of the downtrodden communities. The OBC vote bank he represents, influences results in over a hundred of the 182 Assembly seats up for grabs. It is a reflection of the weight of the OBC population in the state – around a staggering 40%.
But why does Thakor believe that the OBC vote will consolidate itself in this election? What issues can possibly prompt the OBCs to vote en masse against the BJP?
Thakor responds, “The OBCs of Gujarat have not developed. They are being denied quality education in government schools because education is not a priority for this government. Not implementing prohibition effectively is another government failure that we are fighting. The government’s unresponsiveness to our demands has forced us to join hands with the Congress.”
We even conducted a survey of 25 lakh families to advise us on the appropriate course of action. An overwhelming majority of people, including Patidars, wanted us to join the Congress party.Alpesh Thakor
So he is confident of a consolidation in the OBC vote?
“Definitely. The Congress is the only party that can deliver Gujarat from the mess it is in. Mark my words, we will win 125 seats out of 182 in this election.”
A Potshot at the PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is campaigning hard, and often, in Gujarat. His detractors, like Thakor, see it as a sign of the BJP’s lack of strong leadership within the state.
How long will the BJP seek votes in Modi’s name? Does Modi plan on becoming the CM of Gujarat? We have voted for him several times in the past, but the people of this state will no longer vote for him. The party is bereft of leaders. Can they pull votes in the name of CM Vijay Rupani? No, they can’t.Alpesh Thakor
Ironically enough, when reminded that the same could be said of the Congress party, and its lack of a CM face in the poll campaign, Thakor attempted a clarification. “The Congress has several senior leaders in Gujarat who are worthy of picking the mantle. Not announcing a CM candidate does not change that fact.”
An Uneasy Equation With Hardik Patel?
When news broke of Thakor joining the Congress, Patidar leader Hardik Patel was quick to tweet him luck. But how are the two young leaders aligned with respect to each other?
The Congress has not attempted to hide its all-out efforts to woo Patidar leader Hardik Patel into its fold. They have so far remained unsuccessful, with Patel staying non-committal.
Is Thakor miffed with the Congress for continuing its overtures to Patel? Especially since the OBCs would stand to be directly affected, if the future government were to announce reservation for the Patidars from within the existing quota of the SCs, STs and OBCs.
Thakor responds, “The Patidars are an affluent community in Gujarat, so why do they even need to ask for reservation?”
However, he quickly deflects his answer into a criticism of the government yet again. Thakor argues that the agitation for Patel reservation has its roots in the various problems plaguing Gujarat – “government policies that are unfriendly towards small industries and traders, coupled with economic disasters like GST and demonetisation.”
Will Alpesh Thakor Enter the Fray Himself?
Asked about what he promises to achieve if the Congress is elected to power, Thakor says, “There are three things I would like to do – implement prohibition, ensure reservation for Gujaratis in jobs, and improve the state of public education.”
But will he contest elections himself?
Thakor averts the question in typical politico style. “That is for the people to decide. But the government will be ours. That is for sure.”
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