Former Punjab minister and Kharar MLA Anmol Gagan Mann has clarified that she was not denied an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ticket for the 2027 Assembly elections; rather, she had herself expressed unwillingness to contest the next polls and conveyed her decision to party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
In a statement reported on November 13, Anmol said she had informed Kejriwal that she did not wish to enter the electoral contest. Her clarification comes a day after AAP announced its second list of 31 candidates, naming Parminder Singh Goldy for the Kharar Assembly constituency in place of Anmol. With this announcement, the party has declared candidates for 71 of Punjab’s 117 Assembly seats.
Anmol’s clarification has added a new dimension to the political discussion surrounding AAP’s candidate selection. Her name had figured prominently in the party’s 2022 electoral success in Kharar, where she won the Assembly seat and subsequently served as a minister in the Bhagwant Mann government. She resigned as MLA in July 2025, announcing at the time that she intended to leave politics. The party, however, persuaded her to withdraw that decision and continue as part of its political organisation.
Meanwhile, the nomination of Parminder Singh Goldy has reportedly generated discussion within sections of the local AAP organisation. There is speculation that some party workers and local leaders may not be entirely comfortable with the decision to replace Anmol with Goldy. However, no formal protest or collective opposition by Kharar party workers has been independently established so far. Goldy had earlier been appointed the party’s constituency in-charge, indicating that he was already being positioned for a larger organisational role in the area.
The developments come at a crucial stage for AAP, which has moved early in announcing its candidates for the 2027 elections. The party has projected its decision to declare nominees for 71 constituencies as a strategic head start, giving candidates additional time to reach voters. Its candidate reshuffle, however, has also brought questions about internal coordination, local acceptance and the management of political aspirations within the party.
As far as the available reports indicate, AAP has gained an early organisational head start by announcing candidates for 71 seats. Whether this translates into electoral success will depend on voter response, local candidate acceptance, opposition strategies and the party’s ability to maintain unity across constituencies. It would be premature to interpret the early announcement as proof that AAP has an electoral edge in winning the 2027 Assembly elections.
