Representative image of a person casting vote.
Credit: PTI File Photo
The Lok Sabha elections in Arunachal Pradesh will be held in a single phase on April 19. Arunachal has a total of 60 Lok Sabha constituencies.
In the previous 2019 general election, the Bharatiya Janata Party bagged 41 out of the 60 seats in the northeastern state of India. Janata Dal (United) was second by securing 7 seats, followed by grand old Congress patry which bagged 4, and the National People's Party won five seats.
The People's Party of Arunachal had secured 1 seat in the 2019 LS elections while independent candidates bagged two seats.
With 2,226 polling stations across Arunachal Pradesh, the state has a total of 8,82,816 eligible voters comprising 4,33,760 males, and 4,49,050 females— including aged 18-19.
Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu will again contest from the Mukto Assembly constituency, while Deputy CM Chowna Mein is set to contest the LS polls this year from his Chowkham seat. Speaker Pasang Dorjee Sona will contest from his Mechukha seat, and the BJP has given ticket to its party president for Arunachal Biyuram Wage for Pakke-Kessang constituency.
Recently, Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma confirmed his support to the saffron brigade, and said NPP would not be fielding any of its candidates in the two Lok Sabha seats of Arunachal.
The BJP has named Union Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju for the Arunachal West Lok Sabha seat and Tapir Gao as its candidate for the Arunachal East seat.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission on Sunday preponed the vote counting date to June 2 for Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, from the initial scheduled counting date of June 4, 2024. An official statement issued by the polling body on Sunday read, "The term of house of both the Legislative Assemblies of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim is due to expire on June 2. In view of this, the Commission has decided to amend."