Congress nomites candidates for Aruchal bypoll

Itagar, Dec 2: With two days left for filing nomitions for the bye-election in two Assembly constituencies in Aruchal Pradesh, slated for December 12 next, the opposition Congress on Saturday nomited Kameng Dolo as its official candidate for Pakke-Kessang Assembly constituency while Modam Dini has been selected for the Likabali constituency.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has approved the candidature of Dolo and Dini for the by poll, party spokesman Hi Camder Tok said.

“The Aruchal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) is all set for the bye-elections under the leadership of its president Takam Sanjoy to ensure the victory of the party candidates in both the constituencies,” Tok said.

He said the people of the State are well aware of the 2014 Assembly polls where the mandate was given to Congress in both the constituencies, but the BJP had created political instability in the State by toppling the popularly elected Congress government and such cheap politics would not pay any dividend, rather people would give back a befitting reply in the ensuing bypoll.

“The APCC is confident that people of both the constituencies would repose their faith in the Congress and will elect both the party candidates as Congress advocates for secular party system rising above all differences of caste, creed and religion,” Tok added.

The ruling BJP is, however, yet to decide the candidates for Likabali constituency though it had selected B R Waghe as the official candidate for Pake-Kessang constituency.

“We have forwarded the mes of Kardo Nyicyor, Gunke Riba and Tapak Lendo for Likabali constituency to the party’s tiol parliamentary board as the core group of the state ticket committee is yet to come to a consensus over it,” BJP state unit president Tapir Gao said.

The Likabali seat had fallen vacant after Health and Family Welfare Minister Jomde Ke passed away on September 4 this year at a city hospital in Guwahati.

The Pakke-Kessang fell vacant after the Gauhati High Court declared null and void the election of former Deputy Chief Minister Kameng Dolo from the said constituency in March 15, 2014 polls following an election petition filed against him by BJP nominee and former minister Atum Welly.

Welly had alleged that a fraudulent move threw him out of the election, for the EC had accepted a forged letter of withdrawal of his candidature, which led to election of his lone opponent. Dolo had won the election unopposed in 2014. 

Welly, in his election petition, said that withdrawal of his candidature was illegal as his sigture was forged.

The last date of filing papers for both the constituencies is December 4, while scrutiny of papers would be done on December 5.

The last date of withdrawal of candidatures is December 7 while counting of votes would be held on December 24 next.