BJP's Kiren Rijiju wins Arunachal Pradesh West constituency by 96,315 votes

Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Earth Sciences and Food Processing Industries, has won the Arunachal Pradesh West seat with 2,05,417 total votes

Kiren Rijiju, the Union Minister of Earth Sciences and Food Processing Industries, has won from Arunachal Pradesh’s West constituency in the Lok Sabha election with 2,05,417 total votes, according to the ECI.

Union Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju.(PTI)

Early results showed that the BJP leader’s closest rival for the seat was Congress’ Nabam Tuki, whom he had previously defeated in 2019 with a vote margin of 48.8%. Rijiju won by a vote margin of 1,00,738 votes.

Other contenders in the electoral race included Toko Sheetal of the Gana Suraksha Party (GSP), Ruhi Tangung from Janata Dal (United), as well as independent candidates Bimpak Siga, Leki Norbu, Techi Rana, and Tania June.

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In 2019, Rijiju had secured a vote share of 63.02%, while his opponent Nabam Tuki polled 14.22% of the votes. In 2014, the Union minister had wrested the constituency from Congress MP Takam Sanjoy.

The Arunachal West seat comprises 33 scheduled tribe reserved constituencies and went to the polls in the first phase on April 19, recording a voter turnout of 70.11%.

A three-time MP, Rijiju served as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Youth Affairs and Sports from May 2019 to July 2021, and took over the Law Ministry in July 2021.

As the law minister, Rijiju had frequent run-ins with the judiciary. At the India Today conclave in November 2022, Rijiju claimed that judges only recommend appointments and promotions of those they know, not always the person fit for the job.

In April 2023, when the Supreme Court was hearing on legalising same-sex marriages, the BJP minister expressed his belief that decisions regarding important matters like the institution of marriage should be made by the people of the country, rather than being settled in courts.

A month later, in May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appointed Arjun Ram Meghwal as the new Minister of Law and Justice, and moved Rijiju to the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

After taking over as Minister of Earth Sciences in 2023, Rijiju opened four new meteorological centres, created a website called green alerts for sharing weather-related information for the agricultural community, and promised to make Maitri-II, India’s newly proposed research station in Antarctica, a reality by 2029.

The Lok Sabha polls for 543 seats were held in seven phases starting from April 19, with the last phase on June 1. The Bharatiya Janata Party is seeking a rare third term at the Centre with Narendra Modi as Prime Minister.