Arunachal Assembly Polls: A fortnight before voting, BJP gets first victory

Voting for the remaining 59 assembly seats and two Lok Sabha seats in the state will take place in the first phase of polling on April 11.

Updated on: Mar 26, 2019, 18:14:42 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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The Bharatiya Janata Party got its first victory in Arunachal Pradesh a fortnight before polling with one of its candidates for the assembly elections in the state winning unopposed but it will have to wait until March 28 for a formal announcement, the state’s chief electoral officer said Tuesday.

Kento Jini of the BJP will be formally declared the winner on March 28 after the nomination papers of Congress candidate for Along East Assembly seat in Arunachal Pradesh, Minkir Lollen were rejected on Tuesday. (HT PHOTO)

Voting for remaining 59 assembly seats and two Lok Sabha seats in the state will take place in the first phase of polling on April 11.

“Only two candidates had filed nominations for the Along East seat. After scrutiny, the nomination paper of the Congress candidate Minkir Lollen was rejected. Kento Jini is the lone eligible candidate,” Arunachal Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Kaling Tayeng said.

“Officially we can declare the BJP candidate as the winner only after the necessary formalities are completed following last date of withdrawal of nomination papers on March 28,” he added.

Earlier, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav tweeted: “Victory march of BJP starts from Arunachal Pradesh. Sir Kento Jini has won uncontested from Alo(ng) East constituency.”

Last week, 20 BJP leaders in Arunachal Pradesh, including two ministers and six MLAs, joined the National People’s Party (NPP). This move took the strength of the NPP to 13 in the Assembly. The BJP still has 40 MLAs in the 60-member House.

The defections came after many of the sitting MLAs were no renominated.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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