Arunachal: BJP Sweeps Itanagar Civic Polls, PPA Wins Pasighat
The BJP dominated the Itanagar Municipal Corporation elections, while the regional PPA secured a majority in Pasighat, as vote counting concluded for Arunachal’s urban local bodies.
ITANAGAR- The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a decisive victory in the Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC) elections, winning 14 of the 20 wards, while the regional People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) emerged victorious in the Pasighat Municipal Council (PMC) by securing five of the eight wards. The opposition Indian National Congress (INC) failed to win a single seat in either urban civic body.
The urban local body elections were held on December 15 alongside panchayat polls across Arunachal Pradesh. Vote counting for municipal bodies began at 8 am on Friday at 45 counting centres across 27 districts under tight security arrangements. Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were used for urban polls, while ballot papers are being counted for rural panchayat elections.
In the state capital, the BJP’s IMC tally included four wards won uncontested prior to polling. Of the remaining seats, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) secured three wards, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) won two, and one seat was claimed by an independent candidate. Women candidates registered a strong presence, winning 10 of the 20 wards in the Itanagar civic body.
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Voter turnout in Itanagar stood at 51.39%, with 24,604 of the 47,877 eligible voters casting their ballots, reflecting a moderate level of participation in the capital city.
In Pasighat, the PPA secured control of the municipal council with five wards, while the BJP won two and an independent candidate claimed one seat. Four women candidates were elected to the eight-member council. Voter turnout in Pasighat was recorded at 60.95%, higher than in the state capital.
Meanwhile, counting of votes for rural panchayat elections is continuing and is expected to take longer as ballot papers are being used. The panchayat polls cover 186 Zilla Parishad Member (ZPM) seats out of a total of 245, with 59 seats already declared uncontested, and 1,947 Gram Panchayat Member (GPM) seats. The BJP had secured 58 ZPM seats and a large number of GPM seats uncontested prior to polling.
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Rural areas recorded a turnout of nearly 75%, indicating strong participation at the grassroots level. The State Election Commission said the election process was conducted smoothly, with only minor repolling required in a few locations earlier in the week.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu welcomed the results, expressing gratitude to voters for what he described as an overwhelming mandate. In a statement, he said the outcome reflected public faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the state government’s commitment to development and good governance. He assured that the government would work to honour the mandate and take development initiatives to the last mile.
The results underline the BJP’s dominance in urban centres such as Itanagar, while also highlighting the continued influence of regional parties like the PPA in specific districts, shaping the next phase of local governance in Arunachal Pradesh.
