In a major embarrassment for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the 2026 Surat Municipal Corporation elections, the party’s local in-charge has been accused of demanding around ₹18 lakh in exchange for a ward ticket. A case has been registered at Sarthana Police Station after an AAP leader filed a complaint in this regard.
According to the complaint filed by Navneet Navadiya, AAP’s Zone In-charge and cousin of the party’s former Surat president Mahendra Navadiya, he approached Om Prakash, AAP’s in-charge for Ward No. 1-2 and a Delhi-based associate, seeking the party ticket for his wife, Lipsa Navadiya, for the Surat municipal elections. Navadiya alleged that Om Prakash demanded ₹18 lakh as a “contribution to the party” in exchange of the ticket.
Om Prakash reportedly stated, “This time the ward is winnable, therefore ₹18 lakh will have to be given to obtain the ticket.” He added that party tickets are not free, and payment is required. After negotiations between the two, a deal was finally settled at ₹8 lakhs.
Navneet Navadiya also made a video of his conversation with Om Prakash on a road. The AAP leader can be heard saying, “You know how the system works, unless the money reaches Delhi, the system is not activated.”
Navadiya said that he paid ₹3 lakh in instalments, ₹2.5 lakh in cash near Kiran Chowk on March 25, 2026, and another ₹50,000 subsequently. After getting ₹3 lakh, the accused was demanding an additional ₹2 lakh, and continuously harassing Navadiya on phone and WhatsApp.
However, when the party announced the list of candidates, Navadiya’s wife’s name was not there. Navneet Navadiya contacted a party leader named Dharmesh Bhanderi over the matter, who promised that his wife would get the ticket and called them to the office at 10:45 PM at night to fill the form.
Accordingly, a party ticket was issued, prepared by one Ankur Hirpara, after filling out the form. However, when the nomination was filed, and the form was scrutinised, it was found that the party ticket was fake. In the meantime, another candidate’s nomination for the same seat was approved with a genuine party ticket.
After this entire episode, Navneet Navadiya approached the police and filed a complaint against the AAP leaders, including the main accused Om Prakash and co-accused Akash Mishra. He said that when he asked them to return the money already paid, they switched off their phones.
Surat, Gujarat: ACP (A Division), Vipul R. Patel says, "…During the local body elections, they were seeking a ward ticket from the Aam Aadmi Party… They had discussions with another party leader named Om Prakash and told him that they wanted the party’s mandate for the ward… pic.twitter.com/wIAS2OhlBh
— IANS (@ians_india) April 25, 2026
Surat ACP (A Division) Vipul R. Patel confirmed the development while talking to reporters. He said that a case under Section 318(4) of the BNS (cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property, replacement of IPC section 420). The officer said that during discussions for local body election tickets, Om Prakash informed aspirants that the party does not give tickets easily and they would have to contribute funds, initially mentioning around ₹18 lakh.
AAP leaders named in hawala racket
In a related development that has intensified scrutiny on AAP’s financial dealings in Surat, the city’s Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) and Umra police busted an alleged interstate hawala network linked to party functionaries just days earlier. On April 20, 2026, police intercepted transactions involving approximately ₹1.25 crore routed from Delhi to Surat via an “angadiya” (informal courier) channel, reportedly for funding local election activities.
The funds were allegedly sent by Delhi-based businessman Himanshu Pahuja from Janakpuri and received by AAP workers Akash Mishra and Ajay Tiwari. CCTV footage released by the crime branch shows the duo handling large amounts of cash at an angadiya firm. DCP (Crime) Bhavesh Rojiya said: “We have questioned Mishra and prima facie found that the funds were meant for local elections in Surat. More angadiya firms and around ten persons are suspected to be linked to the network. The income tax department has also been informed.”
Akash Mishra, who is also named in the ticket bribery complaint, has previously worked with senior AAP leaders and travelled across states. Police sources indicated that the probe may lead to senior national-level AAP leaders, with the Income Tax department now involved. Further investigations are underway to trace the full network.
