By Pradeep Kumar
ITANAGAR, Apr 15: India will hold the largest election in history with 970 million people, more than 10% of the world population, would cast their votes for 2024 Lok Sabha for 44 days during April 19 and June 4.
Arunachal Pradesh would join the process to elect two Lok Sabha members and 50 MLAs as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party party has already 10 seats uncontested of the 60-member assembly. The Lok Sabha and assembly elections would be held simultaneously.
The BJP is the only party which has fielded candidates in all 60 assembly constituencies of Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Pema Khandu had said while kickstarting election campaign for the party from Bana near Seppa in Bichom district.
The Congress and even other parties have not fielded 30 candidates for which the BJP alone would form Govt again, Khandu had said while addressing an election rally and sought support of the people for the party. Once the BJP comes to power, the process of development would be more than doubled, he said.
The CM is right as Indian democracy is a ‘Game of Number’. Total 133 candidates are left in the fray for 50 assembly seats after the BJP won 10 seats uncontested, including Chief Minister Pema Khandu (Mukto), DCM Chowna Mein (Chowkham) and first time candidates Ratu Techi (Sagalee) and Hage Appa (Ziro-Hapoli), both former PWD chief engineers.
Besides 50 BJP candidates, opposition Congress has fielded 19, National People’s Party 20, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) 14, People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) 11, Arunachal Democratic Party (ADP) 4 and Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) 1 and 14 are independents.
Rubbishing the allegation that five Congress candidates had withdrawn their nominations in exchange of huge sum of money to favour rival BJP candidates to ensure their victory unopposed, Khandu said that he was not aware of it. But, the BJP has always been against money culture.
“Those who withdrew their nominations might have been impressed with performance of the BJP Govt. The BJP party believes only in performance-based politics neither in money culture nor in religion or community based politics, unlike the Congress”, he said.
It is disgusting the way Congress has been using Christian platform openly against the BJP, he said with strong resentment but expressed his full faith and said that Christian mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters would rise above religion and community to support the BJP.
Though the BJP was termed as a religion-centric party but not secular in the past, but present trend has proved beyond doubt as to which party (BJP or Congress) is secular, he said with conviction.
Therefore, the people have thrown away the Congress from their hearts and would never forgive the party for various blunders it committed in the past, he said, adding “I urge the people to be with the BJP to facilitate speedy all-round of the state.
“After taking over reins of the state as chief minister in 2016, the demand for Bichom district came for which series of meeting were conducted. Though the demand was genuine, but there were few ground level problems on for which I had meeting with local and district leaders that ultimately facilitated creation of the new district. The way I made sincere efforts to crate Bichom district, I have come to seek your support to ensure victory of the BJP,” he made a fervent plea.
Asked about naming 30 places of Arunachal Pradesh by China, he said that Union Ministry of External Affairs has already clarified on the issue. However, “I as an Arunachalee out rightly condemn it”.
When asked why not name places of China, he smilingly said jo bola sahi bola (whatever you said is right).
The CM has also appealed “Let’s create history by electing Nyabi Jini Dirchi as Basar MLA who would be first woman legislator from Galo community.”.
“Under the double-engine Govt, Leparada district has witnessed remarkable progress and rapid development. Gratitude to Hon PM Narendra Modi Ji for his vision towards NE’s growth. Let us all express our thank to Modi Ji for his unrelenting work for Viksit Bharat and Viksit Arunachal, by electing Shri Kiren Rijiju Ji from western parliamentary constituency by record margin,” the CM wrote in X.
“Though 70 companies of central armed para military forces (CAPFs), state armed police and IRBn are posted in different districts of the state now, but 10 additional companies of CAPFs would be deployed for peaceful conduct of elections. This has been decided by the Election Commission of India after assessing ground reports has decided to deploy”, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pawn Kumar Sain said, adding the additional forces will arrive by next week.
Total 8,000 security personnel (100 men in one) will be deployed making it the highest ever deployment of security personnel in the state for elections, Sain added.
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