Mehta told Express Newsline that he was assessing his constituency. However, he said care would be taken that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not benefit because of this triangular contest. He also said that he knew he was going to be denied the party ticket ``because wrong propaganda was unleashed against me before the high command that I have no following in my area''.

Mehta stuck to his view that a number of undeserving candidates had been given party tickets in the Saurashtra region but refused to name names. He said there was no question of his joining Sharad Pawar's party even after the denial of ticket.

Mehta had sent a detailed letter to Sonia Gandhi wherein he had expressed shock at not being chosen for the Surendranagar seat.