Itanagar, October 10
The Congress was today firmly on course to reasserting its hold on Arunachal Pradesh having won 25 seats — six short of majority on its own in the 60-member state assembly — even as the BJP opened its account in the state. In a boost for the Congress, independents, many of whom are rebel Congressmen, emerged the second biggest group in the assembly with 12 of them romping home and are expected to play a crucial role in ministry-making.
The NCP bagged two seats while a regional outfit, the Arunachal Congress got one.
After holding sway for many years, the Congress faced a good fight from the BJP which secured six seats, having drawn a blank in the previous elections in 1999.
Among the successful Congress candidates are APCC chief and chief-ministerial hopeful Mukut Mithi, who was re-elected from his old constituency Roing, defeating Laeta Umbrey by over 1300 votes. Laeta, a former Congress Lok Sabha member, is a Congress rebel leader.
However, the fate of Mithi’s challenger for the top post and incumbent Arunachal Chief Minister Gegong Apang will be known tomorrow when counting of votes in Yingkoing, his constituency, is taken up along with 11 others, election office sources said today.
First Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh P.K. Thungon, who ruled the then Union territory as a Janata Party leader for two years from 1978, suffered an ignominious defeat when he polled only 819 votes in a four-cornered contest for Bomdila.
Counting was taken up in 45 of the 57 seats today with three of the seats having already gone unopposed to the Congress. —
PTI
