Itanagar, Dec 20: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) registered a decisive victory in the Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC) elections, winning 14 of the 20 seats, as results of the civic polls were declared on Saturday.
In Pasighat, the Peoples’ Party of Arunachal (PPA) emerged victorious in the Pasighat Municipal Council (PMC) elections, securing five of the eight wards, State Election Commission (SEC) secretary Taru Talo said.
The opposition Indian National Congress (INC) failed to win a single seat in both the Itanagar and Pasighat civic bodies.
Among other parties, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won three seats, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) secured two seats, while an Independent candidate won one seat.
Counting of votes began at 8 am on Saturday across 45 counting centres spread over 27 districts, Talo said.
Elections were held for 16 wards of the IMC and eight wards of the PMC on December 15, as four BJP candidates in the Itanagar civic body had already been elected unopposed.
Women candidates recorded a strong presence in the civic polls, winning 10 seats in the 20-member Itanagar Municipal Corporation. In Pasighat, four women candidates were elected to the eight-member municipal council.
In the PMC elections, apart from the PPA’s five seats, the BJP won two wards while an Independent candidate secured one seat. Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were used in both the IMC and PMC elections.
Talo said the simultaneous panchayat and civic body elections held on December 15 were conducted peacefully across the state, with adequate security and administrative arrangements in place.
Voter turnout in the panchayat polls stood at nearly 75% across Arunachal Pradesh.
In urban local body elections, voter participation was recorded at 51.39% in the Itanagar Municipal Corporation and 60.95% in the Pasighat Municipal Council.
Meanwhile, counting of votes for the panchayat bodies, including 186 Zilla Parishad Member (ZPM) seats and 1,947 Gram Panchayat Member (GPM) seats, is underway through ballot papers, and results are expected to be delayed, the SEC secretary added.
PTI