Ahmedabad, March 24 (IANS) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday released its first list of more than 460 candidates for the upcoming local body elections in Gujarat, with the party's state president Isudan Gadhvi describing the move as the beginning of a shift towards broader participation in electoral politics.
In a video statement, Gadhvi said the list includes candidates for taluka and district panchayats, municipalities and municipal corporations across the state.
He said the selection had been finalised with the consent of the party’s state leadership, screening committee and central leadership.
“Today, AAP has given tickets to common people for candidature in taluka, district, municipality and municipal corporations and has started a new politics, " he said.
He said the party had long envisioned moving away from what he described as entrenched political practices. “We had enough of father-son politics; now we have started the politics of common people, and it is our good fortune, ” Gadhvi said.
According to the party, more than 460 candidates have been included in the first list, with an emphasis on individuals who are socially active and not from established political families.
Gadhvi said the announcement marked the start of a wider electoral effort in which the party aims to provide opportunities to grassroots workers and ordinary citizens.
He alleged that, in the past, electoral opportunities were often limited.
“Till now, if there was a BJP MP, then his son wanted to become an MLA, his son would get tickets in the district panchayat or municipality and municipal corporations, and common workers never got an opportunity, ” he said. “Either millionaires or sons of leaders used to get opportunities.”
He said the party was seeking to change that pattern.
“Now in Gujarat, AAP is giving opportunities to contest elections. For the common people, for the general public, for the common man, a new sunrise has taken place in Gujarat, ” he said.
The release of the first list is expected to be followed by additional announcements, with party leaders earlier indicating that further candidates could be finalised in the coming days as part of its phased strategy for the elections.