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Security deposits forfeited for all 32 candidates; BJP’s saffron flag flies high
Gandhinagar, Gujarat : The results of the 2026 Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation election have been extremely disappointing for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Out of the total 44 seats, the BJP secured 38, the Congress won 5, and ‘Others’ claimed 1 seat; meanwhile, AAP faced a complete washout. In this 2026 election, AAP fielded 32 candidates across 11 wards, but unfortunately, all 32 candidates lost their security deposits, and the party’s vote share also declined. Previously, in the 2021 Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation election, AAP had opened its account by winning in Ward No. 6—where the BJP panel had suffered a defeat—but this time, the party failed to secure even a single seat.
Although the Aam Aadmi Party fielded a total of 32 candidates across 11 wards in the 2026 election, the results brought grim news for the party. In the 2026 elections, not a single candidate from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)—fielded across 11 wards—managed to win. All 32 candidates who contested the election lost their security deposits. A significant decline in AAP’s vote share has been recorded compared to 2021, indicating that voter sentiment did not favor the party this time around.
The situation stands in stark contrast to the 2021 Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation elections. Back then, AAP had made a spectacular entry in Gandhinagar, successfully opening its account. In Ward No. 6, the BJP failed to secure a clean sweep with its entire panel; while BJP candidates Gaurang Ravindra Vyas, Premlata Maheria, and Bhavnaben Goli won their seats, AAP’s Tushar Parikh emerged victorious on the fourth seat. Thus, AAP successfully opened its account by breaking the BJP’s panel in Ward No. 6. However, the party failed to sustain that success; in 2026, it faced a complete rout, effectively being wiped out of the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation.
The results of the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation elections clearly indicate that the Aam Aadmi Party, which is attempting to emerge as a ‘third alternative’ in Gujarat, faces numerous challenges at the local level. Due to the lack of a strong organization within the AAP, a weak grasp of local issues, and a failure to retain voter trust, the success achieved in 2021 has completely eroded by 2026. On the other hand, the BJP has further strengthened its hold on Gandhinagar, while the Congress has also marked its presence as the opposition by securing significant seats.
Report : Abhijit Tushar Bhatt (Political Editor)
