Candidates make a beeline to file nominations in Arunachal Pradesh

Itanagar, March 23 (PTI): With the last date for filing nominations for the simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls in Arunachal Pradesh drawing closer, 60 candidates have filed their nominations for the assembly polls till Friday.
Three candidates have also filed their nominations for the two Lok Sabha seats in the state till Friday, election office sources said on Saturday.

While the last date for the filing of nominations is on March 25, scrutiny will take place on March 26 and the last date of withdrawal of nominations has been fixed on March 28.

Polls for 60 assembly seats and the two parliamentary seats will be held in the state on April 11.
Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Friday filed his nomination for the Arunachal West Lok Sabha seat, while BJP state unit president Tapir Gao filed his nomination for the Arunachal East Lok Sabha seat.

An independent candidate, Romak Jamoh, also filed his nomination for the Arunachal West parliamentary seat, the sources said.

An independent is among the 60 candidates who filed their nominations for the assembly polls till Friday. The prominent candidates who filed their nominations for the assembly polls include former chief minister Gegong Apang from Tuting-Yingkion seat on a Janata Dal Secular ticket, former home minister and sitting MLA Tanga Byaling from Nacho as a Congress candidate and former minister Atum Welly from Pakke-Kessang on a Congress ticket.

Former minister Nyato Rigia has filed his nomination from Taliha on a BJP ticket, senior BJP leader Japu Deru from Bomdila seat and sitting MLA Kumsi Sidisow from Thrizino-Buragaon as a BJP nominee.

Speaker of the outgoing Assembly T Norbu Thongdok filed his nomination from Kalaktang seat as a BJP nominee, while sitting MLA Phurpa Tsering filed his nomination from Dirang constituency on a BJP ticket.
NPP spokesman and sitting legislator Mutchu Mithi filed his nomination from Roing seat, the sources said.

A report from Yingkiong said state Health and Family Welfare Minister Alo Libang filed his nomination from Tuting-Yingkiong seat as a BJP nominee.

Congress names candidates for two LS seats in Tripura
The opposition Congress in Tripura has announced candidates for two Lok Sabha seats in the state, which is set to go to polls on March 11 and 18.

Subal Bhowmick, who recently quit the BJP to join the Congress, will contest the election from West Tripura constituency, while Pragya Deb Burman, a member of the royal family in the state, has been fielded from East Tripura (St) seat, according to a press release issued by the party Friday.

Bhowmik, 57, returned to the Congress on March 19 after a five-year stint in the BJP.
He had started out as a member of the grand old party in the seventies, but left it to form his own party – Tripura Pragatisheel Grameen Congress – in 2013.

In 2008, Bhowmik had contested and won the Sonamura assembly constituency on a Congress ticket.
He joined the BJP in 2014, and was named the vice president of the party’s state committee. Burman, a social worker and the elder sister of Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee president Pradyot Kishore Deb Burman, is a greenhorn in politics.

Tripura Congress vice president Tapas Dey said both Bhowmik and Burman would file their candidature on March 24, the last day for submitting nominations.