133 candidates remain in fray for 50 Assembly seats in Arunachal

After ten Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates were elected to Arunachal Pradesh state Assembly unopposed and 41 candidates withdrew their candidature on Saturday, altogether 133 contestants remained in the fray for the remaining 50 Assembly seats in the hilly Northeastern state, election officials said on Sunday.

Saturday (March 30) was the last date for withdrawal of candidature. Post scrutiny, the papers of 174 candidates were found in order. However, 41 candidates across the State withdrew from the race to the 60-member Assembly by the last date of withdrawal of nominations.

Of the 133 candidates who will be vying for 50 different seats of the 60-member Assembly, 50 are from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 19 from the Indian National Congress (INC), and 14 from the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar).

Twenty nominees from the National People’s Party (NPP), 11 from the People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA), four from the Arunachal Democratic Party (ADP), and one from Lok Jan Shakti Party (Paswan) are also in the fray for the April 19 polls. Fourteen Independent candidates will also be contesting the ensuing Assembly polls.

Arunachal Pradesh is going to vote to elect 50 out of 60 members of the 11th Legislative Assembly and two members of Parliament for the 18th Lok Sabha simultaneously on April 19.

There are 14 candidates in the fray for the two Lok Sabha seats in Arunachal Pradesh, including eight for Arunachal West Parliamentary Constituency and six for Arunachal East Constituency.Results of the Assembly polls will be announced on June 2, two days before the Lok Sabha elections’ results come.

It may be mentioned that 10 BJP candidates, including Chief Minister Pema Khandu from Mukto and Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein from Chowkham constituency, were declared elected to the State Assembly uncontested after the last hour of withdrawal of candidature on Saturday.(UNI)<>