Surat: Little over 14 years after he left ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Dhirubhai Gajera today returned to party fold here in presence of Gujarat BJP chief CR Patil.

Back in June 2007, Gajera and other rebels of BJP had gathered at Dharuka college ground in Surat and addressed a public meeting in presence of over a lakh persons. Gajera today in his speech remembered that day and said 30 MLAs, 15 former MLAs, 8 former MPs, 2 former Chief Minister and 1 former union minister (Kashiram Rana) had gathered in that meeting which was start of ‘Panoti’ for all of them.

Gajera said, the party was divided into two and it was unfortunate thing. He said we fought against powerful leadership of Narendrabhai Modi and Amit Shah but we failed, and it is necessary to admit today that we failed. Out of 30 MLAs that contested against party in year 2007 assembly general elections, only 1 could win, and all other lost. Then gradually all returned to BJP fold. In the meanwhile another party was formed called Parivartan Party but it didn’t succeed.

Gajera said he had blood of Jan Sangh and BJP and such blood can work only with BJP. He said, ‘we had weak leadership and we continued to test defeat’. Gajera said, he will be wearing saffron scarf till last breath and continue to be with BJP.

Gajera said, ‘my friends would say that I lost 2007, 2012, 2017 assembly elections and one Lok Sabha election due to my rigid nature’. He said, ‘I have returned to BJP after over 14 years of Vanvas.’

Gajera asked BJP cadres not to leave party in any circumstances as leadership is very important and without leadership one can’t achieve success.

Gajera said he had proposed to rejoin BJP and called CR Patil for that. Gajera said, Dilip Sanghani, Bharat Boghra, CR Patil and Harsh Sanghvi helped him to return to party. He said CR Patil gave him time and also managed to have permission for his re-induction to BJP from party high command in Delhi.

In his address, Gujarat BJP chief CR Patil recalled that Gajera was a municipal councilor when he (Patil) joined BJP. Patil said Gajera speaks what he feels upfront and he has suffered a lot due to his nature. However one thing worth pointing out is that Gajera is honest person. He has never entered into corruption or money-making using his political position. Patil recalled days when Gajera would refuse to contest assembly election. Patil said he himself had visited Gajera to convince him to contest assembly poll and he had also paid his deposit money for candidature from his pocket which Gajera has not returned till date. DeshGujarat