Itanagar, Oct 22 (IANS) The ruling Congress party in Arunachal Pradesh will form the next government for the second straight term, having already won 33 of 60 assembly seats as counting of votes progressed Thursday.

Of the 46 results declared, the Congress party won 33 seats followed by Trinamool Congress with four seats, three by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), two by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and four by independents and candidates belonging to smaller regional parties.

The Congress is leading in four more seats, according to latest trends available.

"This is a victory for good governance and stability, besides all round development that we were able to bring to the state," Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu told IANS.

"We thank the people of the state for giving us a chance to rule the state for yet another term." Voting was held for 57 seats with three candidates already declared elected unopposed.

Khandu and two more ruling Congress members were declared elected unopposed - sitting MLA Tsewang Dhondup from Tawang constituency and debutant Jambey Tashi from the Lumla seat.

Khandu was elected unopposed from the Mukto constituency in Tawang district, bordering China, repeating his feat in the 1999 and 2004 assembly elections.

Voting for the 60-member assembly elections was held Oct 13 with an estimated 72 percent of the 750,000 electorate having exercised their franchise.

A total of 154 candidates were in the fray with the ruling Congress party fielding candidates in all the 60 seats.

Apart from the Congress party, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) fielded 36 candidates, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 22 -- although the surprise element was the Trinamool Congress with 28 candidates in the fray.

Of the Trinamool Congress nominees, five are former Congress party ministers and 10 are sitting MLAs from the ruling party who were denied tickets this time.