Congress candidates surrender in electoral race due to BJP’s popularity: Pema Khandu

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Itanagar: Hitting back at the opposition Congress, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday asserted that many candidates of the opposition party left the electoral race because of the BJP's popularity among the people.

The people of the state have witnessed the developmental trajectory launched by the BJP government both at the centre and in the state and realised that only the saffron party could lead the state into the developmental front, Khandu told reporters during an election rally at Bana in the newly created Bichom district.

“The people of the state have discarded Congress from their hearts because of misrule and mismanagement. The BJP never believed in money politics and had never allured any Congress candidate to surrender in the elections. It is because they have realised that the BJP can bring only development to the state,” Khandu said while dismissing Congress leader Nabam Tuki’s allegations.

Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Nabam Tuki had on Tuesday accused the ruling BJP in the state of luring their candidates with money to secure victory in the assembly elections.

Tuki claimed that many party candidates withdrew their nomination papers after being offered substantial sums by the ruling party.

“Many Congress candidates did not file nominations, and those who filed papers have withdrawn their papers because of the development-oriented performance of the BJP government, which was never witnessed during Congress rule in the state. We never believe in money politics, and our main mantra is development,” the chief minister said. Khandu, who won uncontested from Mukto along with nine other party candidates this time, accused the Congress of playing politics on religious lines.

“The Congress is trying to garner the support of the Christian community in the state through a prominent forum in the state, which is bad for a democratic setup. It is the dirtiest political game being played by the opposition. They always brand them as secular, but this act has proved their credibility. The BJP never plays politics based on religion, and the party is more secular than the Congress,” he said.

Khandu’s accusation came after the Arunachal Christian Forum, a prominent body in the state, announced its support for non-BJP candidates in the state.

“I believe that the Christian community will never surrender to the dirty politics of the Congress, and the people of the state will never forgive the opposition party in the days to come,” he said.

The chief minister said that except for the for the BJP, no other party in the state fielded candidates in all 60 assembly seats.

"How can one claim to form the next government when they have not put in even 30 candidates? It is only the BJP who will win with a thumping majority and form the next government in the state as well as at the centre,” Khandu claimed.

The Congress has fielded 19 candidates in the assembly, followed by the National People’s Party (NPP) in 20 seats, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in 14, the regional outfit People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) in 11 seats, the Arunachal Democratic Party in four, and the and the Lok Jana Shakti Party (LJSP) in one seat, respectively.

Also Read: Arunachal Pradesh: Pema Khandu, Chowna Mein among ten BJP candidates to contest unopposed

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