The ruling Congress on Thursday returned to power with a two-third majority winning 42 of the 60 seats in the Arunachal Pradesh assembly while UPA allies Trinamool Congress and NCP emerged victorious in five constituencies each and BJP in three.
Of the 42 seats won by Congress, Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and two others were elected unopposed. The party had contested all the seats.
Trinamool Congress, which contested the state polls for the first time, and NCP won five seats each. Trinamool had contested 26 seats, NCP 36 and opposition BJP 18 seats. Independents and members of People's Party of Arunachal Pradesh won the remaining five seats.
The Congress, however, received a setback as seven- time MLA and former chief minister Gegong Apang and his son Omak lost to their NCP and BJP rivals respectively.
Khandu and APCC chief Nabam Tuki, elected from Sagalee seat, told reporters that the CLP leader would be chosen tomorrow or the day after in the presence of AICC observers being sent by party president Sonia Gandhi.
Asked if he would be willing to lead the CLP once again, Khandu said "as a Congress worker whatever task is given to me by the legislators and the Congress chief will be carried out by me."
Asked why some Congress stalwarts were defeated, Tuki said "we will find the reasons. Maybe they lost because some partymen contested on the tickets of other parties.
"We told you Congress will win 40 plus seats and the results are as we expected," Tuki said.
Prominent winners included Home Minister Jarbom Gamlin, Industries Minister Tanga Byalin, Finance Minister Kaliko Pul, Water Resources Development Minister Tako Dabi and Food and Civil Supplies Minister C C Singpho, Rural Works Minister Chowna Mein, PWD Minister Nabam Tuki and Environment Minister Newlei Tingkhatra.
On the other hand, Public Health Engineering Minister Lombo Tayeng, Education Minister Tatar Kipa from Nyapin and Tsering Gyurmi, a close confidante of Khandu tasted defeat. PTI
