A further 14 seats were won without contest by either the National Peoples’ Party (NPP), which is an ally of the BJP, or the Congress, and Independent candidates. Only 14 gram panchayat seats, apart from one zilla parishad, will now see voting on July 12.
Underlining the scale of the BJP’s achievement, and his own party’s decline in the state, senior Congress leader and former MP Takam Sanjoy told The Indian Express: “There is no Opposition in Arunachal. The Congress was supposed to play this role but has failed to do so.”
The seats from where the BJP won without contest are spread across Arunachal, in Tawang, West Kameng, East Kameng, Pakke Kessang, Kamle, Upper Subansiri, West Siang, Upper Siang, Namsai, Siang, Lower Siang, Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts.
The BJP has credited its performance to the faith people have in its Chief Minister Pema Khandu. Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, who belongs to Arunachal, said Khandu was working hard for the welfare of people and this had been appreciated.
Senior BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein said the panchayat bypoll outcome showed the confidence people had in BJP-led governments at the Centre and in state.
Senior NPP leader and MLA Mutchu Mithi said the results were not surprising given the BJP’s formidable strength of 50 of 60 seats in the Arunachal Assembly. The Congress and NPP, in contrast, have four seats each. The winning MLA is bound to hold influence in the panchayat in his or her constituency, Mithi said.
While the NPP is part of the NDA and backs the BJP government, Mithi denied any understanding between the two parties in the rural polls. Asked about the BJP withdrawing its candidate in the lone zilla parishad seat that will see a contest, clearing the way for the NPP’s nominee, Mithi said the BJP might have its own reasons, and the NPP wasn’t aware of the same.
Mithi added that since the NPP was anyway a BJP ally, the onus was on the Congress to fulfill the role of the prime Opposition. However, he said, the party was a “demoralised” house. “Given what is happening elsewhere in the country, it is having an impact here as well,” the NPP leader said.
Acknowledging the party’s failure, senior Congress leader Takam Sanjoy blamed the state leadership and accused them of having a “ruling party phobia”. “If the ruling party is supposed to be the maalik, why is the Constitution made for everyone? The Congress has to revamp itself and fight,” he said.
But, Takam added, the Congress still has hope, as it has got strong roots in the state compared to “newcomer” BJP.