Guwahati: Polling for Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies in Arunachal Pradesh got underway on Monday morning with a moderate turnout in the first half of the day, as cold weather slowed early voter participation.
Election officials said about 21 per cent of the state’s 8,31,648 registered voters had exercised their franchise by 12 noon. Voting began at 7 am across Arunachal Pradesh under heightened security, with turnout picking up steadily as the morning progressed.
State Election Commission (SEC) under-secretary Tage Nipa reported that panchayat elections recorded around 20.45 per cent turnout by midday. Urban local body polls saw similar participation, with 19 per cent voting in the Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC) areas and about 21 per cent in the Pasighat Municipal Council (PMC).
To maintain law and order and ensure smooth polling, the SEC deployed more than 40,000 security personnel and around 15,000 polling officials across districts.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu cast his vote at the 11-Gyangkhar polling station in Tawang district and urged citizens to take part actively in the democratic process. In a message posted on X, he appealed to voters to turn out in large numbers and vote responsibly, stressing that each vote strengthens grassroots democracy and supports long-term community development.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already secured a substantial number of seats without contest. The party won 58 zilla parishad seats unopposed, while the National People’s Party (NPP) claimed one such constituency. In the Itanagar Municipal Corporation, four BJP candidates were elected uncontested. At the gram panchayat level, 5,037 BJP nominees have already been declared elected without facing a contest.
In seats where elections are underway, 440 candidates are competing for 186 zilla parishad constituencies. Urban contests include 39 candidates for 16 IMC wards and 21 candidates for eight wards of the Pasighat Municipal Council.
The electorate includes 7,59,210 voters eligible for panchayat polls and 72,438 registered for municipal elections. The SEC has established 2,171 polling stations for panchayat voting, along with 67 for the IMC and 12 for the PMC. Authorities are using Electronic Voting Machines for municipal polls, while ballot boxes are in place for panchayat elections.
Vote counting is scheduled for December 20.
To facilitate voter participation, the Arunachal Pradesh government declared December 15 a paid public holiday. As per an order issued by Chief Secretary Manish Kumar Gupta, all government offices, banks, educational institutions and commercial establishments remain closed for the day. The order also mandates that private sector employees receive a paid holiday without wage deductions, in line with the Representation of the People Act, 1951.