In Arunachal Assembly polls, BJP dominance absolute, Congress sinks further

The BJP is well on its way to returning to power in Arunachal Pradesh with even more commanding numbers than in the last Assembly, with wins in 42 seats and leads in another four in the elections to the 60-member House.

The party’s dominant position in the elections was clearly signalled when it won 10 of the 60 seats unopposed, including Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein’s constituencies. It now seems set to cross its tally of 41 in 2019. The other significant outcome that seems to be playing out is the almost near wipe-out of the Congress which was in power in the state till Pema Khandu’s exit from the party with 43 MLAs in 2016. As of 1.30 pm, it was leading in one seat with a vote share of 5.12%. In 2019, it had won four seats with a vote share of 16.85%. The party’s fight for survival in the state was evident in its struggle to put up candidates. It had only 19 candidates in the fray.

The BJP also seems to be on its way to increasing its 2019 vote share of 50.86%. As of 1.30 pm, it had cornered 54.64% of the votes counted. Conrad Sangma’s National People’s Party (NPP), which is a member of the BJP-led NDA and the North East Democratic Alliance, is currently in second place with wins in four seats and leads in one. However, state BJP leaders have denied the possibility of a post-poll alliance and asserted that the BJP will form government on its own.

The BJP’s Roing winner Mutchu Mithi, one of the 10 unopposed candidates from the party, attributed the BJP’s current dominant position in the state to organisational strength and investments in the state.

“In the last 10 years of the BJP’s tenure, the Prime Minister has come to Arunachal four to five times in the past five years. Whereas since