ITANAGAR: As the people of Arunachal Pradesh eagerly await the state election results on Sunday, the focus is on the BJP, which has already secured 10 seats unopposed in the 60-member assembly. The party's success can be attributed to the weak opposition it faces, particularly from the Congress, which has been weakened by internal conflicts and defections.
As per the latest updates from the Election Commission of India, the BJP is maintaining its dominant position in the state. The party is currently leading in 33 out of the 50 assembly seats for which counting began at 6 am on Sunday. The National People's Party (NPEP) is also making a notable showing, leading in six constituencies at present. The final results are expected to be declared in the coming hours, providing a clear picture of the political landscape in Arunachal Pradesh.
Pema Khandu, the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, is expected to be sworn in as the 11th Chief Minister of the state along with his council of ministers soon after the results are announced. The BJP's history in Arunachal Pradesh is marked by its rise through defections.
Who is Pema Khandu?Pema Khandu, born on August 21, 1979, assumed the position of Chief Minister at the young age of 37. As the firstborn son of Dorji Khandu, the former Arunachal Chief Minister, Pema completed his education at Hindu College in Delhi.
Following the passing of his father, Pema participated in the 2011 elections, representing his father's assembly constituency, Mukto, and emerged victorious. In 2014, he held the position of Minister of Tourism and Water Resources in Arunachal. Pema's political career commenced in 2005 when he was elected as the General Secretary of the State Congress Committee. Subsequently, in 2010, he was chosen to serve as the President of the Tawang District Congress Committee.
10 candidates won unopposedWith 60 assembly seats in total, the BJP has already secured 10 victories unopposed.
The results of the Arunachal Pradesh assembly elections will also shed light on the 11 MLAs who switched their allegiance to the BJP after winning the 2019 state polls from other parties such as Congress and BJP allies.
Notably, the BJP did not give tickets to three current ministers: Bamang Felix (home), Tage Taki (agriculture), and Tumke Bagra (industries), in order to make room for some of the defectors. The party also gave tickets to three former Congress MLAs — Ninong Ering (Pasighat West), Lombo Tayeng (Mebo), and Wanglin Lowangdong (Borduria-Bogapani) — solidifying their defection just before the elections.
A continuous trend The practice of electing candidates unopposed to the Arunachal Assembly has been prevalent for over two decades. The trend began in 1999 when four candidates from various political parties secured their seats without any opposition.
This phenomenon persisted in subsequent years. In 2014, 11 Congress MLAs, including outgoing Chief Minister Khandu, were elected unopposed." However, the political landscape underwent a significant shift when a majority of these MLAs, led by Khandu, decided to part ways with the Congress. They subsequently aligned themselves with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), resulting in the formation of a BJP-led government in the state.
2019 Assembly elections resultIn the previous Arunachal Pradesh assembly elections held in 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party emerged victorious, securing a total of 41 seats. Following the election results, Pema Khandu was appointed as the Chief Minister of the state. The Congress party, which had formed the government in 2014, suffered a significant setback, managing to win only 4 seats in the 2019 elections.
Other political parties also made their presence felt in the 2019 Arunachal Pradesh assembly elections. The Janata Dal United (JDU) secured 7 seats, while the National People's Party (NPP) won 5 seats. These results marked a significant shift in the political landscape of Arunachal Pradesh compared to the 2014 assembly elections.
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