After differences cropped up with the NCP over seat sharing for Surat Parliamentary seat, the Gujarat Congress on Thursday announced the name of former BJP MLA Dhiru Gajera as their choice of candidate from the diamond city of Surat.
Congress Spokesperson Arjun Modhvadia told PTI today that they will be fielding Gajera from Surat.
"The party had earlier offered Surat Lok Sabha seat to NCP which was not acceptable to us as we had never asked for this seat during talks with Congress", said Jayant Patel president of NCP's Gujarat unit.
Gajera, a diamond merchant and three time MLA, was in spotlight two years ago when he openly rebelled against the "autocratic style of functioning" of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
Asked to react to his candidature from surat, Gajera said he was "happy".
Gajera quit BJP before the last Assembly elections and joined the Congress. He faces Darshna Jardosh of BJP, who is a debutant in Lok Sabha polls.