Arunachal CM Khandu among 5 BJP candidates set to win unopposed, claim party sources

Itanagar, March 27 (IANS) As many as five Assembly candidates of the ruling BJP in Arunachal Pradesh, including Chief Minister Pema Khandu, are likely to win unopposed, party sources claimed on Wednesday. 

The state BJP said in a post on X: “Heartiest congratulations to HCM Shri Pema Khandu ji for being elected unopposed from Mukto (ST) Assembly Constituency. We thank the people of Mukto constituency for their love and support and reposing their faith in the leader of the masses for his vision of #ViksitArunachal."

According to party sources, four other candidates are also likely to win uncontested, including Jikke Tako from Tali, Nyato Dukom from Taliha, Ratu Techi from Sagalee, and Mutchu Mithi from Roing, as the Congress nominees and other candidates withdrew their candidatures on Wednesday.

Election officials in Itanagar said they are awaiting reports from the concerned returning officers.

The scrutiny of nominations will take place on Thursday.  

Former Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Nabam Tuki, who has served 30 years as an MLA from Sagalee, opted to contest the parliamentary elections this time from the Arunachal West seat against Union Minister and BJP candidate Kiren Rijiju.

The BJP has fielded candidates in all the 60 Assembly seats in Arunachal, which will go to the polls along with the two Lok Sabha seats -- Arunachal West and Arunachal East -- in the state on April 19.  

In the 2019 Assembly polls, the BJP had won 41 seats. Later, seven MLAs from other parties joined the BJP.

The BJP formed its first elected government in Arunachal Pradesh in 2019, even though Chief Minister Khandu had formed a BJP government in 2016 after he, along with several MLAs, left the Congress and formed the People's Party of Arunachal which joined hands with the BJP.

Counting of votes for the Assembly polls will take place on June 2, while the Lok Sabha election results will be declared on June 4.

--IANS

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