Indus Valley Times

NEW DELHI,JUN 2 : The counting of votes for the Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim began at 6 am on Sunday. According to the early trends, the BJP is set to retain power in Arunachal Pradesh while the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) is on the way to sweeping Sikkim.

The BJP is leading in 33 of 50 seats in Arunachal Pradesh, having already won 10 seats unopposed. There are 60 assembly constituencies in the northeastern state. The National People’s Party (NPEP) is leading in six seats and others in nine seats.

In Sikkim, meanwhile, the ruling SKM is on the verge of a clean sweep as it’s leading in 31 seats, and its rival Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) is ahead in one seat. The northeastern state has 32 assembly constituencies.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Pema Khandu is set to return for the third time, and so is his Sikkim counterpart and SKM’s supremo Prem Singh Tamang.

Visuals showed counting of votes being done in both the states amid tight security. A video shared by news agency ANI showed counting underway in Arunachal Pradesh’s Papum Pare district amid heavy rainfall.

Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim voted on April 19. The total voter turnout in Sikkim was 79.88 per cent while Arunachal Pradesh saw 82.95 per cent voting.

The key contest in Sikkim was between the ruling SKM and Pawan Kumar Chamling’s SDF. The BJP and Congress also fielded candidates for the elections in the northeastern state.

Among the 146 contestants in the race in Sikkim, prominent candidates include Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, his wife Krishna Kumari Rai, former Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling, former Indian footballer Bhaichung Bhutia, and BJP’s Narendra Kumar Subba.

SKM and SDF fielded 32 candidates each, while the BJP had 31 candidates. The Congress contested in 12 seats, and the Citizen Action Party-Sikkim had candidates in 30 seats.

In 2019, the SKM, led by Prem Singh Tamang, won 17 seats, while SDF secured 15 seats.

For the 60-member Arunachal assembly, the key fight was between the ruling BJP and the Congress. The BJP fielded candidates in all 60 seats, while the Congress contested in only 19 seats. The National People’s Party (NPEP) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also fielded candidates in Arunachal Pradesh.

The BJP has already won 10 seats unopposed as no other candidates filed nominations in these constituencies, including Bomdila, Chowkham, Hayuliang, Itanagar, Mukto, Roing, Sagalee, Tali, Taliha, and Ziro-Hapoli.

Prominent faces in Arunachal Pradesh include Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, both belonging to BJP. They have already won the election. Other key candidates are Biyuram Wahge (BJP), Ninong Ering (BJP), Karikho Kri (NPP), Pani Taram (BJP), Kumar Wali (Congress), Kamlung Mosang (BJP), Wangki Lowang (BJP), and Jampa Thirnly Kunkhap (Congress).

In the previous Assembly election in 2019, the BJP won 41 seats, Janata Dal (United) bagged seven, NPP won five, Congress four, the People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) one, and two Independents also emerged victorious.

WHAT EXIT POLLS PROJECTED

In Sikkim, according to the India Today-Axis My India exit poll, the ruling SKM was projected to retain power in the state, securing 24–30 seats, marking a significant increase.

In Arunachal Pradesh, the BJP was forecast to secure a thumping victory, as per exit poll predictions. The saffron side was predicted to win 44 to 51 seats in the 60-member state.

-PTI