bjp-tightens-grip-on-arunachal-with-landslide-local-poll-win

The Bharatiya Janata Party consolidated its political dominance in Arunachal Pradesh on Monday, sweeping the local body elections with commanding victories across Zilla Parishads, Gram Panchayats and the Itanagar Municipal Corporation.

 

Results declared by the State Election Commission showed the ruling party securing an overwhelming majority in the district councils, reinforcing its organisational strength at the grassroots. Polling for the local bodies was held on December 15.

 

In the Zilla Parishad elections, the BJP won 170 of the 245 seats, including 59 uncontested victories, establishing a decisive lead over its rivals. The regional People’s Party of Arunachal emerged as the second-largest force with 28 seats, while the Congress managed only seven.

 

The National People’s Party, led by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, secured five seats, including one uncontested. Independent candidates and others together won 23 seats, according to the final tally.

 

A similar pattern played out in the Gram Panchayat elections, where the BJP clinched 6,085 of the 8,208 seats, with as many as 5,211 elected uncontested — a result that underscored the party’s extensive reach at the village level.

 

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The PPA won 648 Gram Panchayat seats, including 386 uncontested, while Independent candidates secured 627 seats, of which 280 were uncontested. The Congress won 216 seats, including 111 uncontested victories.

 

The Nationalist Congress Party bagged 396 Gram Panchayat seats, with 159 uncontested, while the NPP won 160 seats, including 81 uncontested. Smaller parties made limited inroads, with the Lok Janshakti Party winning 27 seats and the Aam Aadmi Party securing a single seat.

 

In the urban civic polls, the BJP registered a decisive win in the Itanagar Municipal Corporation, capturing 14 of the 20 wards. The Congress failed to open its account in the IMC.

 

However, the People’s Party of Arunachal emerged victorious in the Pasighat Municipal Council, winning five of the eight wards. The BJP secured two seats, while one ward went to an Independent candidate. The Congress again drew a blank.

 

Chief Minister Pema Khandu expressed gratitude to the electorate for what he described as a resounding mandate, as the results confirmed the BJP’s firm grip over both rural and urban local bodies in the state.