- 14 to fight for 2 MP seats
By Pradeep Kumar
ITANAGAR, Apr 04: Though final stage is ready for the ‘Dance of Democracy’ in Arunachal Pradesh, but it may not be a cakewalk victory for the ruling BJP in rest 50 assembly seats even after its nominees won uncontested from 10 seats.
According to field reports pouring in, few BJP candidates would have cakewalk victory while many would face tough fight from their opponents of other parties to justify the belief that “politics is a game of chance”.
In fact, the political equation for April 19 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections has changed after the ruling BJP won unopposed from 10 of total 60 assembly seats, including Chief Minister Pema Khandu (Mukto) and two first time candidates Ratu Techi (Sagalee) and Hage Appa (Ziro-Hapoli), both former chief engineers, while total 133 candidates are left in the fray for rest 50 seats.
The BJP has fielded candidates in all 50 seats, while candidates fielded by other parties are: opposition Congress – 19, National People’s Party – 20, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) -14, People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) -11, Arunachal Democratic Party (ADP) – four and Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) – one besides independent – 14.
Among total 80 first timers, Congress is leading the list by fielding 17 of its total 19 candidates, followed by the BJP (14) and the NPP (16). Moreover, there are eight woman candidates, highest in Assembly elections so fat. The BJP has fielded four, Congress three, while one female independent candidate.
Fourteen candidates – eight for Arunachal West constituency and six for Arunachal East seat are in the fray and total 8,86,848 would cast their votes in total of 2,226 polling booths across the state for the simultaneous elections.
While 228 polling booths could be reached only on foot, 480 polling booths are in the shadow areas, where mobile or connectivity is an issue, while 588 booths have been identified as critical and 443 as vulnerable.
As usual, the state reflected its uniqueness as No 2 polling station in Pumao Primary School in Longding assembly constituency has highest number of 1,462 voters, Malogam temporary polling booth in Hayuliang constituency only one voter, while polling station No 18-Luguthang in Mukto constituency in Tawang district is located at highest altitude of 13,383 ft.
Counting of votes for assembly polls would be conducted on June 2 while for Lok Sabha constituencies would be on June 4. The aspirants and poll pundits have to wait with baited breath till then for the outcome to come to public domain.
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