12 Sitting BJP MLAs Denied Assembly Tickets in Arunachal

ITANAGAR: Twelve BJP MLAs, including two cabinet ministers, have been denied party tickets to contest the Legislative Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh. The BJP yesterday released a list for the upcoming assembly polls for 54 seats in the 60-member assembly.

From the current crop of incumbent BJP legislators, Home minister Kumar Waii and Tax & Excise minister Jarkar Gamlin have not been named in the list. The other sitting MLAs who have been shown the door are Karya Bagang (Chayangtajo), Tapuk Taku (Seppa East), Likha Saaya (Yachuli), Pani Taram (Koloriang), Punji Mara (Taliha), Kardo Nyigyor (Likabali), Lombo Tayeng (Mebo), CT Mein (Chowkham), Wanglin Lowangdong (Borduria-Bogapani), and Thangwang Wangham (Longding-Pumao).

The party announced that Waii’s Bameng Assembly seat will be fought for by debutant Goruk Pordung. The party will also be fielding Kento Jini from the Aalo East constituency, replacing Gamlin.

Amongst the four BJP hopefuls for the Chayangtajo seat, LK Yangfo has been given the party ticket in place of Karya Bagang.

For Seppa East, Ealing Tallang has been chosen over Tapuk Taku while longtime RSS worker Taba Tedir has been selected over Likha Saaya.

Kardo Nyigyor, who won the Likabali seat in the 2017 by-election, has been denied a ticket in favour of Tapuk Lendo.

The BJP is banking on veteran politician Lokam Tassar for the Koloriang seat, replacing Pani Taram, and fielding Nyato Rigia in place for Punji Mara for the Taliha seat.

Mara’s health has been deteriorating recently.

Lombo Tayeng is being replaced by Dangi Perme, Lowangdong with Jowang Hosai, and Wangham with Tanpho Wangnaw.

Candidates for six constituencies which did not figure in the first list are Kalaktang, Itanagar, Doimukh, Nyapin, Tali, and Mariyang-Geku. Apart from Tali, the incumbents of the other constituencies are all from the BJP. The names are likely figure in the second list which could be announced tomorrow.

Out of the 54 candidates announced, three of them are women.

Gum Tayeng (Dambuk constituency) and Dasanglu Pul (Hayuliang) will return for elections on April 11.

The third woman on the list is Jummum Ete Deori who will be making her electoral debut from deputy chief minister Chowna Mein’s former bastion of Lekang which Mein has left to contest from Chowkham constituency. The present MLA of Chowkham is Mein’s elder brother CT Mein, who was reportedly set to step down from electoral politics owing to his age and health.

Deori is the daughter-in-law of the first and only woman MP (Rajya Sabha) from Arunachal Pradesh, Omem Moyong Deori.

Meanwhile, the Janata Dal (Secular) also announced its list of 11 MLA candidates, including Lobsang Gyatso, the monk looking to end close to three decades of the Khandu family’s rule over Mukto constituency, going up against Pema Khandu.

Old war-horse, former chief minister Gegong Apang refuses to retire from electoral politics and will be contesting from the Yingkiong-Tuting constituency from the party which he joined recently.

The party also announced Bandey Mili as its Lok Sabha candidate from the Arunachal East constituency.

The announcements come a day after the Congress named former chief minister Nabam Tuki as its Lok Sabha candidate for the Arunachal West constituency.