AAP fields 32 in Gandhinagar civic polls after 5 candidates withdraw
Synopsis
AAP enters Gandhinagar's civic polls with just 32 of 41 nominees after five withdrew on the final day — and the party isn't staying quiet about it. State frontal president Praveen Ram has accused the BJP and Congress of jointly engineering the pullouts, calling it a 'conspiracy.' In a city where the BJP holds 41 of 44 GMC seats, the allegation of a ruling-party alliance with the opposition is a sharp, if unverified, political charge worth watching as October 11 approaches.
Key Takeaways
AAP will contest 32 seats in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation elections after five candidates withdrew on 29 September 2026 and four nominations were rejected.
AAP state frontal president Praveen Ram alleged that the BJP and Congress jointly pressured candidates to withdraw, calling it a 'conspiracy.' The GMC covers 44 seats across 11 wards ; polling is scheduled for October 11 and counting for October 13 .
Congress has also separately alleged that its candidates were being pressured to withdraw; the BJP has denied all such allegations.
At the last GMC elections in 2021 , BJP won 41 of 44 seats , Congress won two , and AAP won one .
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will contest 32 seats in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) elections, down from the 41 nominations filed by the party ahead of the September 26 deadline, after four nominations were rejected during scrutiny and five candidates withdrew on 29 September — the final day for withdrawal. The party has alleged that the withdrawals were the result of coordinated pressure by both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (Congress).
What AAP Alleged
AAP state frontal president Praveen Ram on Tuesday alleged that the BJP and Congress had together pressured and 'hijacked' five of the party's candidates, forcing them to pull out their nomination forms. 'BJP and Congress have together pressured five Aam Aadmi Party members (candidates), hijacked them, put pressure on them and hatched a conspiracy to make them withdraw their forms,' Ram said.
He claimed the two rival parties had acted in concert specifically because AAP could neither be 'managed' nor intimidated. Ram further pointed to the defection of two Congress councillors elected in the previous GMC election to the BJP as evidence of what he described as an enduring understanding between the two parties.
How the Candidate Count Changed
AAP had initially announced 29 candidates for the 44-seat civic body spread across 11 wards. By the September 26 filing deadline, the number had risen to 41. Following scrutiny on September 28, four nominations were rejected. Five more candidates withdrew on the final day, leaving the party's confirmed tally at 32.
Congress and BJP Trade Allegations
The controversy is not confined to AAP. Congress has separately alleged that its own candidates and their relatives were being pressured to withdraw nominations — claims the BJP has rejected as baseless. The broader atmosphere of accusation points to a sharply contested civic race in a city that also serves as Gujarat's state capital.
Election Schedule and 2021 Backdrop
Polling for the GMC's 44 seats across 11 wards is scheduled for October 11, with voting conducted through electronic voting machines. Vote counting is set for October 13, while October 12 is reserved for re-polling if required. The election notification was issued on September 21 by the Gujarat State Election Commission.
At the last GMC polls in 2021, the BJP swept 41 of the 44 seats, while Congress won two and AAP claimed one. The scale of that BJP win frames the stakes for all three parties this cycle.
With polling less than two weeks away, whether AAP's allegations of a BJP-Congress understanding gain traction among Gandhinagar voters will be a key variable in a contest where the incumbent BJP starts from a position of near-total dominance.
Point of View
Where the BJP won 41 of 44 GMC seats, means any three-cornered contest inherently advantages the incumbent. Whether AAP can convert grievance into votes in a city the BJP has dominated so thoroughly is the real story here. The broader pattern of nomination-stage pressure alleged by both AAP and Congress — if even partially verified — raises governance questions about the health of electoral competition at the local body level in Gujarat.
NationPress
30 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did five AAP candidates withdraw from the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation elections?
Five AAP candidates withdrew their nominations on 29 September 2026, the final day permitted for withdrawal. AAP state frontal president Praveen Ram alleged that the BJP and Congress jointly pressured them to pull out, calling it a coordinated conspiracy; however, the specific reasons given by the candidates themselves have not been independently confirmed.
How many seats will AAP contest in the Gandhinagar civic polls?
AAP will contest 32 of the 44 GMC seats. The party had 41 candidates file nominations by the September 26 deadline, but four were rejected during scrutiny on September 28 and five withdrew on September 29.
When is the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation election scheduled?
Polling is scheduled for October 11, with vote counting set for October 13. October 12 is reserved for re-polling if required. The election is being conducted through electronic voting machines across 11 wards.
What was the result of the last Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation election?
In the 2021 GMC elections, the BJP won 41 of the 44 seats, Congress won two, and AAP won one. The BJP's near-total dominance makes the 2026 contest a significant benchmark for both AAP's growth and Congress's recovery in the city.
Has the Congress also raised concerns about pressure on candidates in Gandhinagar?
Yes. Congress has separately alleged that its candidates and their relatives were being pressured to withdraw their nominations. The BJP has rejected all such allegations as baseless.
