State to witness multi-cornered contest in Lok Sabha elections

Our Correspondent

Itanagar: The two Lok Sabha seats in Arunachal Pradesh will witness multi-cornered contest during the April 11 election, with a total of 12 candidates are trying their lucks in the electoral battle.

While five candidates filed nominations for the Arunachal East seat, a total of five candidates are vying for the Western seat.

The Eastern seat, with 27 Assembly segments, would witness a tough fight between Tapir Gao of the BJP and James Lowangcha Wanglat of the Congress.

However, two new faces including Bandey Mili of the Janata Dal Secular and Mongol Yomso, a nominee of the Peoples party of Arunachal (PPA) along with Independent candidate C C Singpho would also give a fight in the constituency, political observers here feel.

The constituency is considered as a stronghold of the Congress with the party’s candidates being elected for seven terms. However, the BJP emerged successful from the constituency in 2004. While Arunachal Congress won the seat once and Independent won for two terms. In the 2009 and 2014 elections, Congress nominee Ninong Ering won from the seat consecutively. During 2014 Ering defeated his nearest rival Tapir Gao of the BJP by a margin of 12, 478 votes.

While Ering polled 1,18,455 votes, Gao secured 1, 05,977 votes. The PPA candidate Wangman Lowangcha polled 32, 354 votes.

In 1977, Independent candidate Bakin Pertin won from the seat while Congress candidates Sobeng Tayeng won from the seat in 1980 elections, Wangpha Lowang (1984) and Laeta Umbrey in won from the seat in 1989 and 1991 elections.

Wangcha Rajkumar was elected from the constituency as an Independent candidate during 1996 and re-elected in 1998 and 1999 as Arunachal Congress and Congress candidate respectively.

In 2004, BJP candidate Tapir Gao won from the constituency defeating his nearest rival Wangcha Rajkumar of the Congress by a margin of 44, 994 votes. Gao had polled 83,335 votes while Rajkumar could secure 38, 341 votes during the election.

The Western Arunachal constituency with 33 assembly segments this time also going to witness a multi-cornered contest with seven candidates in the fray.

According to political analysts, the main fight would be between sitting BJP nominee Kiren Rijiju and Janata Dal Secular candidate Jarjum Ete.

However, Congress candidate former Chief Minister Nabam Tuki is also set to give a tough challenge for the candidates.

The other candidates who are in the fray from the constituency this time includes, first timer Khoda Apik of the National Peoples’ Party (NPP) (New), Subu Kechi (PPA), Jomin Nyokir (All India Forward Bloc) and Independent candidate Rumak Jomoh.

During 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Rijiju won from the seat by defeating his nearest rival Congress nominee Takam Sanjoy by a margin of 41, 738 votes.

While Rijiju polled 1, 69, 367 votes, Sanjoy secured 1, 27, 629 votes. Rijiju also won the seat in 2004.

Sanjoy, however, elected from the constituency during 2009 election as a Congress candidate.

The Congress dominated the seat since 1977 with Rinching Khandu Khrime being elected, while during another Congress nominee Prem Khandu Thungon won from the seat consecutively for four terms including 1980, 1984, 1989 and 1991 respectively.

Another Congress leader Jarbom Gamlin won the seat in 1999.

In 1996 election, Independent candidate Tomo Riba won from the constituency while Omak Apang won the seat during 1998 as an Arunachal Congress nominee.

Also read: Arunachal news