Itanagar, Dec 9 (UNI) The ruling BJP in Arunachal Pradesh has won five out of 20 wards of Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC) unopposed.
“In Itanagar Municipality, five out of 20 wards have got their representatives elected unopposed after the last date of withdrawal of nomination on Monday. All the five elected are BJP nominees,” State Election Commission (SEC) Joint Secretary Tamune Miso told reporters late evening.
The winners include former Deputy Chief Councilor Tarh Nachung from Ward No 19, Kipa Takum from Ward No 18, Arun Kipa Loram from Ward No 20, Tai Yakia from Ward No 12 and Gyamar Tuvin from Ward No 14.
While for the remaining 15 wards, 36 candidates are in the fray for the forthcoming urban local bodies’ election. Out of the 36 candidates, 15 are from BJP, 14 from Janata Dal (United), four from National People’s Party (NPP) and three from Congress, as per the data made available by the poll panel.
For Pasighat Municipal Council, all eight wards will go to the polls with altogether 17 candidates in fray. Except for Ward No 3, all seven will witness a straight fight between the ruling BJP and Opposition Congress. While Ward No 3 is set to witness a triangular fight with the third party being the NPP.
While as many as 93 candidates have been declared elected unopposed as Zilla Parishad Members (ZPMs) and over 70 per cent nominees as Gram Panchayat Members (GPMs) ahead of the elections to the two-tier Panchayat bodies, scheduled to be held simultaneously with Municipal bodies on December 22.
“Out of the total of 242 Zilla Parishad Constituencies in the State, 143 will go for polls as 93 candidates got elected unopposed,” the poll panel official said.
He said, in Gram Panchayats, 5,738 candidates have been declared elected unopposed.
“Out of the total of 8,142 GPM constituencies, only 1485 will go for polls as 5,738 got elected uncontested,” Miso said.
He, however, said details of GPM seats of three districts viz Siang, Lower Siang and Shi-Yomi are yet to be received.
Dibang Valley district having four Zilla Parishad and 71 Gram Panchayat constituencies has sent all the nominees elected unopposed, as per the data made available by the poll panel.
The SEC Joint Secretary also informed that elections to Vijaynagar Panchayats (including one ZPM seat and 40 GPMs) under Changlang district and one ZPM seat at Hawai North under Anjaw district were “kept in abeyance”.
Earlier, Chief Minister Pema Khandu, through a tweet, claimed that BJP won 96 ZPMs, 5410 GPMs and five Corporators.
“An impressive start for @BJP4Arunachal in State’s Panchayat and Municipal polls 2020. Congratulations to all the candidates from BJP who have won unopposed.
Also thanks to the people of Arunachal for their unwavering trust in @BJP4India and PM @narendramodi Ji’s leadership,” Khandu tweeted.
UNI DS RN