Arunachal Pradesh: Over 5 pc turnout in first two hours of voting, rain disrupts polling

Itanagar, April 19 (IANS) Over five per cent voter turnout was recorded till 9 a.m. on Friday, in the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh amid tight security, election officials said.

Despite inclement weather, women and first-time voters queued up in front of polling stations well before voting started at 7 a.m., in most parts of the state.

An election official said that due to rain, no voting took place till 9 a.m. in several polling stations in different districts.

After casting his vote at a polling station in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said that he is confident BJP would form government for the third consecutive term.

He urged voters to exercise their franchise in large numbers.

The elections for two Lok Sabha members and 50 MLAs were underway across 2,226 polling stations from 7 a.m., and would continue till 5 p.m.

A total of 8.92 lakh voters, including 4.54 lakh women, will decide the electoral fate of 133 candidates contesting for the 50 Assembly seats, and 14 candidates vying for the two Lok Sabha seats.

Of the total 60 Assembly seats in the state, BJP candidates in 10 seats including CM Pema Khandu (Mukto seat) and Deputy CM Chowna Mein (Chowkham seat), have been elected unopposed.

The BJP has fielded candidates in all the Assembly seats while the opposition Congress put up 19 nominees. The National People's Party (NPP) is contesting for 20 seats, NCP (14) and People's Party of Arunachal has 11 candidates in the fray.

In the Arunachal West parliamentary seat, eight candidates are in the contest including Union Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju and state Congress President Nabam Tuki. Sitting BJP Lok Sabha member Tapir Gao and state Congress Vice President and former minister Bosiram Siram are among six candidates contesting from the Arunachal East seat.

With deployment of 70 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) (6,500 personnel), and thousands of state security forces, elaborate security arrangements have been made to hold peaceful polling in the state, officials said.

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