Ahmedabad, Sep 25 (PTI) Ahead of the October 11 elections to the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation in Gujarat, the ruling BJP on Friday announced 32 candidates for eight wards, while the Congress declared 19 candidates for five wards.
The AAP has so far announced 29 candidates for the 44-member civic body.
The announcements by the three parties came ahead of the September 26 deadline for filing of nomination papers. These parties, especially the BJP, are likely to announce candidates for other wards soon.
The GMC elections cover 44 seats in 11 wards.
The BJP has also given a ticket to Congress turncoat Ankit Barot from ward 3. Barot was among the two Congress corporators who had won the 2021 GMC elections, and was subsequently made the leader of opposition in the civic body.
In March 2024, Barot and Gajendrasinh Vaghela, who were elected on Congress tickets in the previous poll, resigned from the party’s primary membership and all posts.
The notification for the elections was issued on September 21, while scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on September 28. Candidates can withdraw their nominations till September 29.
Polling will be held from 7 am to 6 pm on October 11, with counting of votes scheduled for October 13. If required, re-polling will be held on October 12.
The Gujarat State Election Commission announced the election schedule on September 16, following which the model code of conduct came into force.
The civic body had last gone to polls in October 2021, when the BJP won 41 of the 44 seats, while Congress bagged two and the AAP one.
The elections will be conducted through electronic voting machines (EVMs). The commission has said adequate police arrangements would be made to ensure that voters can exercise their franchise freely. PTI PJT PD NP
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