Counting Begins For Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Polls: 10 Points

1. In Arunachal Pradesh, the counting began at 6 am instead of the usual 8 am. The postal ballots are being taken up first.
2. With 10 BJP candidates elected unopposed, the results of 50 of the 60 assembly seats will be known today. The BJP, which won 41 seats in 2019, has fielded candidates in all the 60 seats. The Congress has contested on 34 seats.
3. Among those elected unopposed is Chief Minister Pema Khandu, who has won three of his four terms as MLA without a contest from Mukto is in Tawang district.
4. The others include Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein from Chowkham, Techi Kaso from Itanagar, Nyato Dukam from Taliha, and Mutchu Mithi from Roing.
5. In the 2019 assembly election, the Janata Dal (United), or JD(U), won seven seats, the National People’s Party (NPP) five, Congress four and People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) one seat. Two independent candidates had also won.
6. In Sikkim, the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha — locked in a primarily bi-polar contest with Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) — is hoping for a second straight term in power as votes for 32 assembly seats are counted.
7. Both parties have fielded candidates on all 32 seats. The BJP has fielded 31 candidates and is expected to put up a fight in a handful of seats and the new party CAP-S(Citizen Action Party-Sikkim ) on 30 seats. The Congress is contesting on 12 seats.
8. Spearheading the ruling SKM’s bid, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang is contesting from Rhenock and Soreng-Chakung assembly constituencies, where he is locked in a multi-cornered contest.
9. Former Chief Minister Pawan Chamling – who headed the state for five terms – said he is confident that the people have voted his party, the SDF, back in power.
10. In 2019, the SKM had ended the 25-year rule of the SDF by winning 17 seats against 15 of Pawan Chamling’s party. Going by the ‘first past the post’ system, the SDF was unseated despite polling more votes than the SKM.

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