Alpesh Thakor, Dhavalsinh Zala who cross-voted during RS polls to join BJP on Jul 15

Ahmedabad, July 12: Alpesh Thakor and Dhavalsinh Zala, who rebelled against the Congress and voted against the party candidates in the Rajya Sabha bypolls in Gujarat, will join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday (July 15), said reports. Both would reportedly be joining the BJP on Monday at 2:00 PM.

During the Rajya Sabha bypolls held in Gujarat on July 5, both Thakor and Zala cast their votes for BJP candidates, and later resigned as MLAs. BJP candidates - External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and OBC leader Juglaji Thakor- won the byelections for Rajya Sabha.

Thakor, who was an MLA from Radhanpur in Patan district, Gujarat, had announced his resignation from the Congress in April saying he was 'ignored and insulted' by the party.

The by-polls on the two seats from Gujarat were held after the BJP's sitting Rajya Sabha MPs Amit Shah and Smriti Irani resigned following their election to the Lok Sabha in May from Gandhinagar and Amethi, respectively.

"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," Alpesh Thakor had then said.

On the same day, both leaders met state deputy chief minister Nitin Patel, triggering speculation that they may join the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party