Itanagar, September 30: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu ruler and two other congressional candidates were declared elected unopposed, while a total of of 154 candidates left in the race for the remaining 57 seats in the Assembly after the withdrawal on Tuesday.
Along with Khandu (constituency Mukto), Tsewang Dhondup, MLA meeting of the city and debutant Tawang Jambey Tashi (Lumle), all belonging to the predominantly Buddhist Tawang district, were declared elected unanimously as nominations were filed against him.
The Congress has fielded candidates for all 60 seats going to the polls on October 13.
PNC has 36 candidates and is followed by Trinamool Congress, which is participating in elections in this state’s eastern border for the first time most, with 26 candidates.
The largest opposition, BJP has been weakened by the defection of all its nine MLAs and former member of Lok Sabha, Kiren Rijiju, the decision of Congress.
The party has fielded candidates in only 18 seats this time against 39 in 2004.
Also in the fray three candidates from JD (U), 11 People’s Party of Arunachal, a regional party, and three independents.
This time another regional party, Arunachal Congress (AC), which won two seats in 2004, have opposed any candidate and the decision of the Congress stated that CA had merged with it.
In total, 11 of the 13 strands of children who were denied passage by Congress, joined the Trinamool Congress and 10 are opposed in their ticket. A sitting MLA and Congress defector being disputed in the NCP ticket.
In the last assembly elections in the State Congress won 34 seats, BJP nine, NCP and AC two each, while 13 seats went to independents.
–Agencies