The stage is all set for the BJP to form its first elected government in Arunachal Pradesh.
Led by incumbent chief minister Pema Khandu and state president Tapir Gao, the BJP, riding high on its development pitch, has so far won 40 seats, including three uncontested in the 60-member Assembly.
Counting of votes was still under way in two of the Assembly constituencies till the filing of this report.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quick to congratulate chief minister Pema Khandu for the win.
“I bow to my sisters and brothers of Arunachal Pradesh for placing their faith in @BJP4Arunachal. We will leave no stone unturned in serving the state. Congratulations to our youthful CM @PemaKhanduBJP and the entire Arunachal Pradesh BJP for the hard work. Proud of this team!” the PM tweeted, to which Khandu replied, “Thank you our beloved Hon’ble PM for such encouraging words for our state. We the people of Arunachal are humbled by your kind words. We promise that we will perform to the expectations of our people and the country. #VijayiBharat @BJP4India”.
The rise of the BJP, which had exploited the infighting between the rival parties to rule the state for the past two-and-a-half years, has come at the cost of the Congress, which managed to only win four seats this time. It had fielded candidates in 46 seats.
The candidates to register wins were former chief minister Nabam Tuki who retained his Sagalee seat and sitting Lok Sabha MP for Arunachal East, Ninong Ering, who won the Pasighat (West) Assembly seat. The other Congress candidates to register wins were sitting MLAs Wangling Lowangdang who won the Borduria Bogapani seat and Lombo Tayeng who retained his Mebo seat.
Arunachal Pradesh PCC president Takam Sanjoy faced defeat in Lekang constituency against BJP’s Jummum Ete Deori.
The surprise package this year was Janata Dal United (JDU), which registered wins in seven seats. The party had fielded candidates in 15 constituencies.
Fighting elections for the first time in the state, the JDU won the Itanagar constituency through sitting MLA Techi Kaso and the Mariyang Geku seat through Kannong Taku. Talem Taboh and Dorjee Wangdi Kharma also registered big wins for the Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar-led party in Rumgong and Kalaktang constituencies.
Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K. Sangma-led National People’s Party also scored well with four wins. The party had fielded 15 candidates.
Sitting MLAs from Seppa (East), Roing and Khonsa (West) Tapuk Taku, Mutchu Mithi and late Tirong Aboh, who recently joined the NPP after the BJP denied them tickets, retained their respective seats while newcomer Gokar Basar dethroned BJP’s Gojen Gadi from Basar.
Both the JDU and NPP are allies of the BJP.
In a major setback for the NPP, former home minister Kumar Waii, who represented the Bameng seat, lost to BJP’s Goruk Pordung.
The PPA, the lone regional party of the state, only managed to win one seat through Kardo Nyigyor, who retained Likabali.
Tapir Gao, the state BJP president, won the Arunachal East constituency defeating Lowangcha Wanglat of the Congress by 69,948 votes. Gao had lost the 2014 polls to Ninong Ering of the Congress.
