Only five nominations for Assembly, none for Lok Sabha polls in Arunachal Pradesh

ITANAGAR: With the deadline of nominations for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh approaching fast, only five candidates have so far filed their papers.

According to Nirvachan Bhawan sources, four Congress candidates including sitting minister Pema Khandu (Mukto constituency), Parliamentary secretaries T N Thondok (Kalaktang) and Likha Saaya (Yachuli) and Phurpa Tsering from Dirang filed their papers till yesterday.

Lakpa Tsering from Diran assembly constituency is the lone BJP candidate who has filed his nomination.

Interestingly, not a single candidate, so far, has filed nominations for the two Lok Sabha seats in the state, sources added.

The Arunachal Pradesh assembly has 60 seats and in the 2009 assembly elections, the Congress won 42 seats, Trinamool Congress, and Peoples' Party of Arunachal (PPA) bagged five each, while NCP secured four seats and BJP clinched victories on three including one Independent.

However, the strength of the Congress rose to 55 after four NCP, Five Trinamool Congress and four PPA members switched allegiance to the party.