OUR CORRESPONDENT
Itanagar: With the high decibel campaigning for the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh gaining momentum, the ruling BJP has chalked out a tentative list of star campaigners to woo voters in the northeastern state. Arunachal Pradesh will go to simultaneous polls in the first phase on April 19 for the two Lok Sabha seats and 60 assembly constituencies.
Though the party has not yet finalized the dates and venues for conducting rallies, BJP sources here informed that many central ministers along with ministers from other northeastern states would campaign for the party.
Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to address an election rally at Aalo in West Siang district on April 6, party’s senior vice president Tarh Tarak informed.
“The date will be finalized by the party’s central leadership and as of now the party has approved the names of five central ministers and BJP president Jagat Prashad Nadda for campaigning in the state,” Tarak said.
Besides Shah, other central ministers who would campaign for the party include, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Road Transport and Highways minister Nitin Gadkari, Ports, Shipping & Waterways and AYUSH minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs minister Piyush Goyal.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Housing & Urban Affairs and Irrigation minister Ashok Singhal would also join the campaigning trail in the state. Nagaland’s deputy chief minister Yanthungo Patton and tourism minister Temjen Imma Along are also on the star campaigner list for the party.
Besides, state Chief Minister Pema Khandu along with his deputy Chowna Mein and other cabinet colleagues including BJP state president Biyuram Wahge and other senior leaders, would campaign for the party in various constituencies. As many as 15 candidates will try their luck for the two Lok Sabha seats in the state. A total of eight candidates are in the fray for the Arunachal West Parliamentary seat where a multi-cornered contest is expected.
Union Earth Science and Food Processing Industries Minister is contesting from the seat and will face Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Nabam Tuki along with six others. In the Eastern Parliamentary seat there are a total of seven candidates in the fray. The ruling BJP has nominated sitting MP Tapir Gao while the Congress has fielded Bosiram Siram. A total of 195 candidates have filed papers for the 60 assembly constituencies till Wednesday, the last date of filing nominations.
Scrutiny of papers would be done on Thursday and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is March 30. Counting of votes for Assembly polls would be held on June 2 and for Lok Sabha polls on June 4 respectively. In the 2019 assembly elections in the state, the BJP bagged 41 seats, JD(U) won seven seats, the NPP won five seats, the Congress secured four seats, the PPA won one seat and two Independent candidates also won. The BJP had also won both Lok Sabha seats in the last election. The term of the present assembly is ending on June 2.
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