Itanagar, Dec 24 (PTI): The BJP on Sunday wrested both the Pakke-Kessang and Likabali Assembly seats from the Congress in the by-elections to these constituencies in Arunachal Pradesh.
With this, the 60-member state Assembly now has 49 MLAs from the saffron party, nine from the Peoples' Party of Arunachal (PPA), one Congress and one Independent legislator.
B R Waghe of the BJP won the Pakke-Kessang seat by a narrow margin of 475 votes, defeating his lone rival and former deputy chief minister, Kameng Dolo of the Congress.
While Waghe polled 3,517 votes, Dolo bagged 3,042, Joint Chief Electoral Officer D J Bhattacharjee said.
In the Likabali seat, BJP's Kardo Nyigyor won by a slender margin of 305 votes, defeating his nearest rival, Gumke Riba of the PPA.
While the BJP candidate polled 3,461 votes, the PPA nominee secured 3,156 votes in the constituency, which witnessed a multi-cornered contest.
While Congress candidate Modam Dini could secure only 362 votes, the lone Independent candidate, Sengo Taipodia, bagged 675 votes.
The constituency also saw 23 voters opting for NOTA, Bhattacharjee said.
Over 68.5 per cent electors had cast their votes in the December 21 bypolls, with Pakke-Kessang recording an 86-per cent voter turnout and Likabali 51 per cent.
The Likabali seat had fallen vacant after then health and family welfare minister Jomde Kena passed away on September 4.
The Pakke-Kessang seat fell vacant after the Gauhati High Court declared the election of Dolo from the constituency in the March 15, 2014 polls null and void, following an election petition filed by BJP nominee and former minister Atum Welly.
Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju congratulated the BJP members for the victory in the bypolls.
Comment on this article
Vincent Rodrigues, Bengaluru/Katapadi
Mon, Dec 25 2017Good this time for BJP and hope next time for Congress
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mahesh, Mangalore
Mon, Dec 25 2017Moral victory for Congress...
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SMR, Karkala
Sun, Dec 24 2017Arunachal Pradesh in the 2014 assembly polls, 42 of 60 legislative assembly members in the state were Congress leaders. Today, 47 of the MLAs are BJP leaders, most of whom were previously Congress politicians.
In September 2016, Pema Khandu left Congress and joined the People's Party of Arunachal Pradesh, which he left in December to ultimately join the BJP. Khandu is currently the chief minister of the state. His father, Dorjee Khandu, was formerly a Congress leader and chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh.
Consolation prize for BJP after party got runout in 99 in Gujarat.
Anyway BJP should be happy for the day but the BJP’s abysmal performance in the southern Indian state assumed significance in light of the party’s claim that it had enrolled over 50 lakh members through its missed call drive.
In a bypoll to RK Nagar in Tamil Nadu in the end, NOTA received 2,203 votes, while the BJP secured 1236 votes.
Earlier, it was commonly believed that there are people from the BJP in the Congress. But for the first time, one can say that there are people from the Congress within the BJP.”
Arunachal Pradesh government is the actual Congress in BJP. Amit Shah’s Idea of a ‘Congress-Free India’ one where BJP is full of Congress Leaders?
Jai Hind
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Rajesh, Mangalore
Sun, Dec 24 2017We want important bills to be passed in parliament for eg. Triple talaq,uniform civil code, ban on polygamy etc. Therefore ultimately numbers help. Wether or not they were inCongress earlier does not matter at all.
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Rajesh, Mangalore
Sun, Dec 24 2017For Congress moral victory for BJP actual victory. I am sure Congress will win moral victory in Karnata
ka too.
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Rathan, Mangalore
Sun, Dec 24 2017Sickulars and MODI haters r hiding in rat holes
Share value if burnol sky rocketing on daily basis
Why no statement from "pidi"in which year khangress will take over AP
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Sampath, India
Sun, Dec 24 2017Congress will win all the constituencies in 2022 ...Raul vincy
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Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai
Sun, Dec 24 2017People here seem to be happy with GST & Demonetization because they don't have any Money ...
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Alfria, Mumbai/Mangalore
Sun, Dec 24 2017All the MLA's in the present assembly are in BJP were all Congress MLA's and they have all defected to BJP , BJP didn't have a single MLA before defection of Congress MLA's, money power is the major winner,
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ca girishkk, m'lore/dxb
Sun, Dec 24 2017No need to campaign.., EVM will do the rest..!!!
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sri_elder, Karkala
Sun, Dec 24 2017No doubt burnol profits to beat all street estimates!
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Santhosh, Mangalore
Sun, Dec 24 2017You are actually abusing the constitutional pillar of Indian democracy i.e the Election comission f India which is actually a neutral body.
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Dinesh, Dubai
Sun, Dec 24 2017dong(i)ress only one seat in entire state..
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NAVEEN, Mangalore
Sun, Dec 24 2017Now slaves are hiding now. .......
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Ivar, Mangalore
Sun, Dec 24 2017Moral victory for Congress!!
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RSRB, Kundapur/Singapur
Sun, Dec 24 2017Moral victory for Congress as BJP won by narrow 300 odd votes..
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Peter, Bangalore
Sun, Dec 24 2017No beef ban in Arunachal Pradesh.
DisAgree [13] Agree [13] Reply Report Abuse
NAVEEN, Mangalore
Sun, Dec 24 2017Congress candidate Modam Dini could secure only 362 votes, Congress da avaste tuley mare. Bari bejar apund.
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Ramesh S, MANGALORE
Sun, Dec 24 2017..another moral victory for Congress..not big like Gujrat, its small bypoll moral victory..MODI credential at risk, RAHUL rising..
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NAVEEN, Mangalore
Sun, Dec 24 2017Modi ka kamal...Jaio BJP
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