BJP sweeps panchayat by-polls in Arunachal Pradesh

Itanagar, July 16: The ruling BJP in Arunachal Pradesh swept the panchayat by-polls by winning 108 gram panchayat (GP) seats, State Election Commission (SEC) officials said here on Saturday.

The National Peoples’ Party (NPP) secured five GP seats, opposition Congress and Janata Dal (United) won three each and Independents bagged 11 seats, counting of votes for which was held on Saturday, State Election Commissioner Hage Kojeen said.

In the lone zila parishad member (ZPM) seat in Kurung Kumey district, Independent candidate Bengia Tayang won by defeating his rival NPP candidate Chello Tagar, by a margin of 98 votes. The SEC on June 14 had issued a notification for holding panchayat by-polls to 130 GP seats and one ZPM seat.

However, in 116 GP seats, candidates were declared elected unopposed as there was only one candidate. The BJP won 101 GP seats, the NPP and Congress two seats each, one by JD(U) and Independent candidates 10.

By-elections were held for one ZPM seat and 14 GP seats on July 12. An estimated 84.55 per cent voters, out of total 4,057 eligible voters, exercised their franchise for electing 14 GP members and one ZPM, Kojeen informed.

Arunachal Pradesh has a total of 8,216 GP seats and 242 ZPM seats. Among the ZPM seats, the ruling BJP has 188, JD (U) has 10, Congress (9), NPP (7), PPA (3) and independents (24). Of the total GPM seats in the state, BJP has 6,378 seats, Congress (378), NPP (243), JDU (159), PPA (27) and independents (1046). Elections to 40 GPM seats and one ZPM seat in Vijoynagar sub-division of Changlang district have been kept pending due to law & order and other administrative issues, Kojeen added.