Itanagar: Independent candidate Chakat Aboh on Thursday won the Khonsa West Assembly by-election by a margin of 1887 votes in Arunachal Pradesh.
“Aboh, the wife of slain National People’s Party (NPP) leader Tirong Aboh, polled 5705 votes while her rival – Independent candidate Azet Homtok managed to garner 3818 votes,” Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Liken Koyu said.
“Out of 144 Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot (service voters) and Postal Ballot (polling officials) casted, Aboh got 91 votes, Homtok got 33 and 20 were rejected,” he said.
“There werea total of 68 NOTA votes polled,” he added.
Aboh, was backed by five major political parties, including the ruling BJP and opposition Congress.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pema Khandu congratulated Aboh and said, “Congrats to Chakat Aboh for winning the 56-Khonsa West by-election Assembly seat by 1887 votes as Independent candidate. I also congratulate BJP workers for their effort in getting her elected as an MLA.”
An estimated 93.2 per cent of the 10,309 electorates including service voters exercised their franchise for the byelection to Khonsa West Assembly seat in Tirap district which was held on Monday.
The by-election to the Khonsa West seat was necessitated after Tirong Aboh, who contested the April 11 Assembly election as NPP nominee and got re-elected from the said seat, was gunned down by suspected NSCN militants in Tirap district on May 21, two days ahead of the poll results.
With Aboh’s win, the strength of women representatives in the 60-member Arunachal Assembly has risen to four.
Out of the 60-member Assembly, BJP has 41 MLAs while Congress and NPP have four each. The JD (U) has seven, the PPA has one along with three Independents MLAs. (UNI)
