Gujarat: 171 in fray for 32 seats of Gandhinagar municipal corporation

As many as 171 candidates have filed nominations for election to 32 seats of Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation on April 24. Saturday was the last day of filling the forms, while the last day of withdrawal is April 12. There are eight wards, each with four seats. Results will be declared on April 25.

BJP has fielded 64 candidates which include 32 dummy candidates, Congress 39, NCP 11, BSP 8, and Lok Vikas Manch 24. In addition there are 25 independents, an official said. Both BJP and Congress had a large number of claimants for tickets.

"Our workers know that candidate is selected based on certain yardstick determined by the party, and this is a part of the election process. So there is no space for disaffection," said the district Congress chief Mukesh Patel.

State BJP president Vijay Rupani said the large number of claimants reflected "confidence of victory among the workers." "Over 300 persons asked for tickets....Names were decided by taking all members along....we are sure BJP will win power in the corporation," Rupani said.

In 2011, Congress won the election by winning 18 out of 33 seats, but later BJP wrested the control by getting some Congress councillors to defect. In the local body polls in Gujarat four months ago, Congress won most of the district and taluka panchayats in rural areas, even as BJP managed to retain six municipal corporations and 40 out of the 52 municipalities.