BJP names candidates for all 60 Assembly seats in Arunachal Pradesh, drops 3 ministers

Itanagar, March 13

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday announced candidates for all 60 Assembly constituencies in Arunachal Pradesh, dropping three ministers and fielding 16 fresh faces.

Three Congress MLAs who recently shifted allegiance to the BJP figured in the candidates list.

The party also nominated four women candidates and one of them is a greenhorn.

Home Minister Bamang Felix (Nyapin seat), Industries Minister Tumke Bagra (Aalo West) and Agriculture Minister Tage Taki (Ziro-Hapoli) were denied tickets by the party.

The BJP last week announced that union minister Kiren Rijiju and Tapir Gao will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Arunachal West and Arunachal East constituencies respectively.

The Lok Sabha and Assembly elections will be held simultaneously in the northeastern state.

Sitting BJP MLAs Laisam Simai (Nampong), Kento Rina (Nari-Koyu), Tsering Tashi (Tawang) and Lokam Tasar (Koloriang) were among those who failed to get tickets by the party.

The party also dropped women legislators Gum Tayeng (Dambuk) and Jumum Ete Deori (Lekang).

Of the four female candidates nominated by the BJP, Nyabi Jini Dirchi (Basar) is a fresh face, while the three others are Tsering Lhamu (Lumla), Dasanglu Pul (Hayuliang) and Chakat Aboh (Khonsa West).

Three Congress MLAs who joined the saffron camp recently were nominated. They are Ninong Ering (Pasighat West), Lombo Tayeng (Mebo) and Wangling Lowangdong (Borduria-Bogapani).