6 BJP Nominees Including Arunachal CM Pema Khandu Likely To Be Elected Unopposed In The Assembly Polls
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, whose assets grew by 100 per cent in the last five years is set to be elected unopposed with five other BJP legislators in Arunachal Pradesh.
Mr Khandu, who is now the country's second richest chief minister with a declared net worth of over Rs 277 crore in 2024, which has grown by over 100 percent from Rs 132 crore in 2019, represents the Mukto constituency, where he won unopposed in the 2011 polls on a Congress ticket after his father and former CM Dorjee Khandu’s death. He won from the seat unopposed in 2014 also, again on a Congress ticket. Mr Khandu joined the BJP in 2016. In 2019, Mr Khandu won from Mukto as a BJP candidate with 70.74 percent vote share, beating Thupten Kunphen of the Congress.
In an affidavit submitted with his nomination for the elections, Mr Khandu has declared "interest on bank deposits, lease rents, agriculture, and salary and allowance of the CM" as the sources of his income. He has also declared assets worth over Rs 54 crore held by his wife.
Moreover Mr Pani Taram, who joined the BJP earlier this year, is the only candidate from Koloriang, the Assembly seat he won in 2014 on a People’s Party of Arunachal ticket. He later joined the National People’s Party and lost to the BJP’s Lokam Tassar in the last election.
In the Roing Assembly seat, sitting MLA Mutchu Mithi, who had joined the BJP last month, is the only candidate. In the Tali Assembly constituency, sitting Jikke Take, who joined the BJP along with five other JDU MLAs in 2020, is the only candidate.
In Taliha seat, BJP’s sitting MLA Nyato Rigia is the only candidate while Ratu Techi, a former PWD engineer who recently joined the BJP, is the only candidate from Sagalee, an Assembly constituency represented by former chief minister and Congress leader Nabam Tuki.
The Congress has fielded Tuki from Arunachal West Lok Sabha seat in the April 19 elections.
In the 2019 elections, the BJP had won 41 seats, JDU 7, National People’s Party (NPP) 5 and Congress 4 in the 60-member Assembly.
It is significant that the scrutiny of nominations will be held on March 28 and March 30 is the last date for withdrawal of nomination papers.
