BJP releases list of 18 candidates for Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim Assembly polls

New Delhi, Mar 21: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released list of 18 candidates for Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim Assembly elections on Thursday. The list includes 6 names from Arunachal Pradesh and 12 from Sikkim.

The BJP's parliamentary board on Sunday released a list of 54 candidates for the Assembly polls in Arunachal Pradesh, which will be held simultaneously with Lok Sabha polls on April 11.

The second list was released after eight sitting legislators, including two ministers, of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Arunachal Pradesh joined the National People's Party led by Conrad Sangma on Tuesday. A total of 18 BJP leaders joined the party on Tuesday.

National People's Party (NPP) General Secretary Thomas Sangma said that Home Minister Kumar Waii and Tourism Minister Jarkar Gamlin have joined the party. "National People's Party will not form alliance with anyone," ANI quoted Sangma as saying at a press conference. "BJP's ideology is not right. It is not a secular party."

The Sikkim Legislative Assembly has 32 seats. Currently, the SDF holds 23 seats while Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) has 9 seats. Assembly elections are set to take place on April 11.

Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) led by current Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has had near-total hold on power in the state. The party has governed the state for five consecutive terms since 1994. Pawan Chamling has been heading the state government.