Gajera, a former minister and close aide of ex-BJP Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, had quit the saffron party with other rebels, including Babu Tanti and former minister Gordhan Zadafia, on the eve of the December 2007 Assembly elections.

While Babu Tanti gave up the Congress company, Zadafia floated his own Mahagujarat Janata Party, and Gajera remained with the Congress. He had contested the Assembly election on a Congress ticket, but lost.

The party top brass, while appointing the office-bearers, ensured that all communities have got proper representation. Other Backward Classes, accounting for 50 per cent of the state’s population, have been given adequate representation.

While one of the vice-presidents, P D Vasava,

belongs to the tribal community, J V Momin and Adam Chaki as vice-presidents represent the Muslim community.

The party has also appointed four general secretaries from the minority community, including Khurshid Saiyed, Rizwan Usmani, Hoshang Mirza and Mumtaz Chorasia.