The Arunachal Pradesh unit of the National People’s Party (NPP) has released its first list of 29 candidates for the 60-member Assembly elections scheduled to be held in the frontier state on April 11.

The list was released by the party’s state president G. Kabak on Wednesday evening after it was approved by the NPP’s central executive committee and national general secretary (in-charge of Arunachal Pradesh) Thomas Sangma.

Among the prominent names that featured in the list was that of home minister Kumar Waii, tourism minister Jarkar Gamlin and former BJP general secretary Jarpum Gamlin.

Where Jarpum resigned from the party on Monday, expressing that he couldn’t let down the expectations of his supporters fowling the BJP’s denial to give him a party ticket, Waii had on the other hand blamed chief minister Pema Khandu of not giving him the ticket as he allegedly thought of him as the chief ministerial candidate.

Waii will contest from the 8-Bameng constituency of East Kameng district, while the NPP will field brothers, Jarkar and Jarpum from the 31-Aalo (East) and 17-Liromoba constituencies respectively.

BJP legislators who shifted their loyalty to Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K. Sangma-led party on Tuesday, including Thangwang Wangham, Tapuk Taku, Pani Taram and Pangka Bage have also made it to the first list, whereas the names of Borduria-Bogapani MLA Wangling Lowandong and Likabali MLA Kardo Nyigyor have been left out.

NPP legislators Mutchu Mithi, Nikh Kamin and Tirong Aboh will also contest the polls from their respective constituencies where they had won in the 2014 elections.

NPP state vice-president Nima Sangey Saling said, “The final list will be out by Thursday or day after as there is a lot of joining still happening.”

The Arunachal Assembly now has 32 BJP legislators as the party is yet to release the names for six more seats.

The NPP at present has eight MLAs under its belt, whereas the Janata Dal (Secular) has one in the form of Pangin MLA Tapang Talo.

The Congress, the People’s Party of Arunachal and the Janata Dal United are yet to announce the names of their candidates.

Former adviser to the chief minister and BJP legislator Wanglin Lowangdong has denied joining the NPP.

Lowangdong, who represents the Borduria-Bogapani Assembly constituency in Tirap district, said he has instead decided to join the Congress, the party he had served for over a decade.

Lowangdong’s name was featured among the other eight BJP lawmakers who shifted their allegiance to the NPP on Tuesday.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Lowangdong said he had gone to meet some friends and he never joined the NPP formally.