Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Polls: 10 Of 60 Seats Already In Kitty, BJP Fights A Battle Half Won

Arunachal Pradesh polls: The BJP is contesting 50 seats as it has already won 10 in the 60-member assembly. Check out how many candidates have other parties fielded.

Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Polls: Chief Minister Pema Khandu has won the Mukto seat unopposed.

Source : PTI

The Arunachal Assembly elections are being held today along with the Lok Sabha polls 2024 and 3 other state polls. As many as 7.95 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes to elect their representatives in the 60-member assembly. However, polling will be held for only 50 seats as 10 candidates, all from the Bharatiya Janata Party, have won from their constituencies unopposed.

Among the 10 candidates, are incumbent Chief Minister Pema Khandu (from Mukto) and Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein (from Chowkham). As many as six seats did not get more than one nomination, while nominations were withdrawn in four constituencies. The Sagalee and Ziro-Hapoli seats were won by BJP's Ratu Techi and Hage Appa, respectively — both of them are debutants. The Sagalee seat was former Chief Minister Nabam Tuki's stronghold, but he pulled out of the race to contest the Arunachal West constituency.

Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Elections: Key Stats

As many as 123 candidates are contesting the Arunachal Assembly elections. Of these, 80 have filed nominations for the first time. While the BJP has fielded candidates for all 60 constituencies, the Congress is contesting just 19 seats. Seventeen of the Congress's 19 candidates are debutants, while 14 BJP candidates filed nominations for the first time.

As many as 20 candidates from the Meghalaya's National People's Party, 11 from the People's Party of Arunachal (PPA), 4 from the Arunachal Democratic Party and 1 from the Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) are also in the fray. Apart from them, 14 Independent candidates are contesting the polls, news agency PTI quoted Chief Electoral Officer Pawan Kumar Sain. Sixteen of the NPP's 20 candidates are first-timers.

The fates of these candidates will be decided by 8,82,816 lakh eligible voters who will vote at 2,226 polling stations. 

At present, the Pema Khandu government has the support of 51 MLAs of the NDA (48 BJP+2 NPP+1 Independent). The lone Opposition MLA is Nabam Tuki. Eight seats are vacant.

The BJP had won 41 seats in the last elections. However, it swelled in numbers after all 7 MLAs from the JD(U) switched to the saffron party.