The Arunachal Pradesh unit of National People’s Party (NPP) has released its first list of 29 candidates for Assembly elections scheduled to be held in the frontier state on April 11.
The list was released by party’s State president G Kabak on Wednesday evening following the approval by the NPP’s central executive committee and national general secretary in-charge of Arunachal Pradesh, Thomas Sangma.
Among the prominent names that featured in the list were home minister Kumar Waii, tourism minister Jarkar Gamlin and former BJP general secretary Jarpum Gamlin.
Also read: Arunachal: Setback for BJP as ministers, MLAs & general secy join NPP
While Jarpum had resigned from the party on Monday expressing that he couldn’t let down the expectations of his supporters following the BJP’s denial to give him a party ticket, Waii had blamed Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu of not giving him the ticket as he allegedly thought of his as a CM candidate.
Waii will be contesting from the 8-Bameng constituency of East Kameng district while the NPP will field brothers, Jarkar and Jarpum from 31-Aalo (East) and 17-Liromoba constituencies respectively.
Sitting BJP legislators who shifted their loyalty to the Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma-led party on Tuesday namely, Thangwang Wangham, Tapuk Taku, Pani Taram and Pangka Bage, have also made it to the first list.
Interestingly, the names of Likabali MLA Kardo Nyigyor and that of Wanglin Lowangdong have been left out from the first list.
Lowangdong, who represents the Borduria-Bogapani Assembly constituency in Tirap district, has, however, clarified that he never joined the NPP formally.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Lowangdong said that he has instead decided to join Congress, the party which he had served for over a decade.
Present NPP MLAs Mutchi Mithi, Nikh Kamin and Tirong Aboh would also be contesting the polls from the respective constituencies where they had won the 2014 elections.
Speaking to Northeast Now, NPP State vice-president Nima Sangey Saling said “the final list would be out by Thursday or day after as there is a lot of joining still happening”.
The 60-member House in the State now has 32 sitting legislators in the BJP as the party is yet to release the names for six more seats.
The NPP at present has 8 sitting MLAs under its belt whereas the Janata Dal Secular (JD-S) has one legislator for now in the form of Pangin MLA Tapang Talo.
The Congress, People’s Party of Arunachal and Janata Dal United (JD-U) is yet to announce the names of its candidates.