Alpesh Thakor, recruited by the Congress in Gujarat with an eye on the sizeable OBC or Other Backward Caste votes, had some tense moments when he was trailing on Monday morning, less than an hour into the counting of votes. Soon, the leads changed and Thakor, 40, was home.

"I always knew I was meant to be in politics," he said, sharing that one time, he had an audience of nine at a public meeting.

"In 2015, 50,000 people come to my rallies,