Arrangements complete for RS polls in Arunachal

Itanagar: Two candidates are in the fray for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Arunachal Pradesh where all arrangements have been completed for Thursday’s polling.
While sitting MP Mukut Mithi is the Congress candidate, opposition BJP pitted former MLA Tapen Siga.
Assistant returning officer K Habung said that polling would be conducted through secret ballots and all the members of the house would participate in the process.
“Elections will be held from 9 AM to 4 PM and the result will be declared immediately after completion of the poll process after due approval of the Election Commission.”
The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) met hereTuesday under the chairmanship of its leader Nabam Tuki and unanimously decided to ensure the election of Mithi to the Upper House of Parliament.
While the ruling Congress is upbeat on the poll result with 41 legislators in its kitty in a house of 60, BJP too is optimist about its win as the party is foreseeing cross voting in favour of its candidate.
The Congress claimed that Mithi would get 48 votes, including the support of five MLAs of the People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) and both independents.
BJP national secretary Tapir Gao at a press conference here recently claimed that the party’s prospect to win the seat was high as the election would be between the Congress and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, not Siga.
While the Congress won 42 seats in the April 9 assembly elections the BJP got 11 and PPA secured five seats.
There are also two independent MLAs.
Election for the seat was announced following expiry of the term of office of the incumbent MP on May 26 last.(PTI)