Haren Pandya's wife to contest polls

Jagruti Pandya, wife of slain BJP leader Haren Pandya is now all set to contest from the high profile Ellis Bridge Constituency.

Pandya filed her nomination from the constituency from the newly floated Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) of former chief minister Keshubhai Patel on Thursday.

By filing her nomination she has now made it clear that her decade-long fight for justice will now spill over to the political arena as well. Pandya, who was the Minister of Home in Keshubhai Patel-led BJP government was killed in March 26, 2003.

While her father in law, late Vitthal Pandya had till his last breath accused Chief Minister Narendra Modi of having his son killed, Jagruti had refrained from making any direct allegation of such nature and instead had chosen the legal path to seek justice. Haren Pandya had won from Ellis Bridge constituency three times earning the seat a reputation of being one of the safest seats for BJP.

It was because of this seat that Haren Pandya had fallen out with Narendra Modi as he had declined to vacate the seat on the latter’s request to vacate the seat for him.

Announcing her decision to contest from Ellis Bridge seat, Pandya said that she is taking the plunge into politics to fulfill the incomplete dreams of her husband.

She also took a jibe at BJP saying that the party had changed from its original form to a one-man organisation in Gujarat while it is the GPP that is infused with the ideology of Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay.