Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Elections 2024: Upbeat ruling BJP clash with beleaguered Congress

Guwahati: With 10 candidates already declared winners uncontested, the ruling BJP in Arunachal Pradesh is set for a fight against its allies instead of the Opposition Congress on Friday when polling for remaining 50 Assembly constituencies would be conducted.

The BJP, which seeks to retain power for the second straight term, has put up candidates in all 50 seats while the struggling Congress, which was in power for maximum times till 2016, is contesting only in 19 seats. The Opposition party initially named 34 candidates but only 19 filed their nominations. Most of the Congress candidates are new faces. 

The National People's Party (NPP), an ally of the NDA has fielded candidates in 20 seats, some of whom are fighting against BJP candidates. The NPP earlier decided not to put up candidates for the two Lok Sabha constituencies in Arunachal Pradesh, polling for which are also scheduled on Friday.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju is contesting against former CM and senior Congress leader Nabam Tuki in Arunachal West Lok Sabha seat while BJP MP Tapir Gao is contesting against Bosiram Siram of Congress. 

A total of 133 candidates are in the fray for the 50 Assembly seats, polling for which will be conducted between 7am to 5pm in 2,226 polling stations on Friday.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu, who was among the 10 candidates declared winners uncontested on March 31, exuded confidence that BJP this time could score a record by winning all the seats.

Khandu said people would vote for BJP only as they are happy with the development work done by the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre since 2014 and his government at the state since 2016. BJP is highlighting the infrastructure development work done by Modi government and the Centre's tough stand while countering China's claim over Arunachal Pradesh as it seeks to retain power in the frontier state.  

Khandu, who got elected from Congress in 2014, defected to BJP along with MLAs in 2016 giving the saffron party its first government in the frontier state. Khandu-led BJP government got re-elected in 2019 with 41 seats while several legislators belonging to JD-U and NPP also switched over to BJP later.

The Opposition Congress and People's Party of Arunachal (PPA), however, believe that people would stop BJP's victory due to alleged corruption by Khandu and several MLAs. The PPA is contesting only in 11 seats.