63 Candidates File Nominations For Arunachal Polls

Our Correspondent

Itanagar: With the final day for filing nominations in Arunachal Pradesh drawing closure, a total of 60 candidates have filed their papers till Friday for Assembly polls. Three candidates also filed their nominations till Friday for the two Lok Sabha seats in the State, election office sources informed here on Saturday.

Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Friday filed his papers for Arunachal West Parliamentary seat, while BJP State unit president Tapir Gao filed nominations from Arunachal East Lok Sabha seat.

Independent candidate Romak Jamoh also filed his papers for Arunachal West parliamentary seat, the sources said.

Among the 60 candidates who filed their papers for Assembly constituency, one is an independent candidate.

Among the prominent who file nominations for Assembly polls include, former Chief Minister Gegong Apang from Tuting-Yingkion seat in a Janata Dal Secular ticket, Former Home Minister and sitting MLA Tanga Byaling (Nacho) as a Congress candidate, former minister Atum Welly (Pakke-Kessang) in a Congress ticket, former minister Nyato Rigia (Taliha) from BJP, senior BJP leader Japu Deru from Bomdila and sitting MLA Kumsi Sidisow (Thrizino-Buragaon) as a BJP nominee. While State Assembly Speaker T Norbu Thongdok filed his papers from Kalaktang seat as a BJP nominee, sitting MLA Phurpa Tsering (BJP) filed nominations from Dirang constituency. NPP spokesman and sitting legislator Mutchu Mithi filed his papers from Roing seat, the sources said.

A report from Yingkiong informed that State Health and Family Welfare Minister Alo Libang also filed his papers from Tuting-Yingkiong seat as a BJP nominee.

Though a few Congress candidates filed their papers in their respective assembly constituencies, the party is yet to officially announce the list of the candidates.

With Saturday and Sunday being holidays, only a day is left for filing papers in the State. Arunachal Pradesh is going to simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls on April 11 next. The last date of filing nominations is March 25, while scrutiny of papers would be held on March 26 and the last date of withdrawal of nominations has been fixed on March 28. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.

A total of 7, 94, 162 voters, including 4, 01, 601 women, would exercise their franchise in the April 11 simultaneous polls in 2,202 polling stations spread across the state. There are also 3000 odd physically challenged voters in the state.

This time, there are also 11 polling stations in the state that will exclusively be for women.

Polling Station no 52 at Naharalagun, under Itanagar Assembly constituency, has the highest number of voters at 1340, while Malogam polling station under Hayuliang constituency in remote Anjaw district bordering China has only one female voter.

Luguthang polling booth under Mukto constituency in Tawang district is the highest polling station located at an altitude of about 13,583 feet.

Eleven polling stations exclusively for female voters have also been set up in the state, the sources said. The State has 281 vulnerable polling booths and 662 critical polling stations where adequate security personnel would be deployed.

Also read: Arunachal News