The wife of slain former Bharatiya Janata Party minister Haren Pandya, Jagruti, on Thursday announced that she will contest polls from Ellisbridge constituency of the city on Gujarat Parivartan Party ticket to get "justice for her husband from people's court."
Haren Pandya, who was assassinated on March 26, 2003, was earlier the minister of state for home in the Keshubhai Patel government.
Former Chief Minister Patel rebelled against BJP and floated GPP.
"My husband's assassination was a political murder. For the last 10 years I have been fighting a legal battle to get him justice but in vain...however, I will continue to fight," Jagruti Pandya said.
"I have not received any support from the BJP in my fight. My husband gave his life for the party. But he was not aware that he would be betrayed," Pandya said in an emotional appeal declaring her candidature.
"BJP has not remained a party with an ideology but it has become a one man outfit here," Pandya said in an apparent reference to Modi.
"That is the reason I have decided to fight elections on Gujarat Parivartan Party ticket, which is following the real ideology of Pandit Dindayal. Though I have not got justice in legal battle for my husband but I am sure that I will get justice in people's court," Pandya said.
Pandya will be contesting elections from Ellisbridge constituency, from where Haren had won three times.
On August 29, 2011, the Gujarat high court had dropped charges of murder against 12 persons convicted for killing of Haren Pandya. A special POTA court had earlier convicted 12 accused in the case, out of the total 15 who were nabbed.
Haren Pandya was shot dead on March 26, 2003, near Law Garden area of the city when he had gone for a morning walk.
Jagruti will be fighting the election in a triangular contest with BJP's Rakesh Shah, while Congress is yet to announce the name of its candidate on the seat.
"I am fighting elections also to fulfil the incomplete dreams of my husband. I am confident that people of Ellisbridge constituency will vote for me looking at the good work done by him," she said.
To a question on why she decided to come out after 10 years, Jagruti said that Keshubhai Patel, whom she respects, has come out and formed a party and she thought it was the right time to support Patel.
