Summary:
Instead, the party choose to give ticket to minority candidate Iqbal Patel from Surat (west) seat, which is a BJP bastion. The party gave ticket to a minority candidate from Surat (west) considering minority community's feelings. Had we been given ticket from Surat (east), things would have been different. The party's decision to field Iqbal Patel against BJP heavyweight Purnesh Modi came as a surprise to minority leaders in the city. This has not gone down well with minority workers.Kadir Peerzada told TOI, "I was offered ticket from Surat (east), but I denied it due to personal reasons..