Clash breaks out between BJP and Congress supporters ahead of Arunachal civic body polls

Tensions escalated in Itanagar last night (December 14) as supporters of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator and a Congress corporator candidate clashed ahead of the ongoing Panchayat and Civic Body elections scheduled for today, December 15.

Eyewitnesses reported that a heated verbal argument between the groups quickly turned violent, with supporters resorting to sticks to attack each other. Several individuals sustained injuries and were promptly taken to nearby hospitals for medical treatment. The exact cause of the confrontation remains under investigation, while police personnel intervened to control the situation.

Ahead of the polls, the BJP has secured 58 Zilla Parishad seats uncontested, and the National People’s Party (NPP) has won one such seat. In the Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC), four BJP candidates were elected unopposed. Moreover, a total of 5,037 BJP candidates for gram panchayat seats were declared elected without contest.

Despite the high number of unopposed victories, electoral contests continue in various constituencies. A total of 440 candidates are contesting for 186 Zilla Parishad seats, 39 candidates for 16 IMC wards, and 21 candidates for eight wards of the Pasighat Municipal Council (PMC).

The State Election Commission (SEC) reported that 13 gram panchayat constituencies received no nominations, while 14 nominations were rejected during scrutiny. Polling for the Dumba Singpho gram panchayat seat was countermanded following the death of a candidate.

A total of 8,31,648 voters are eligible to cast their votes, including 7,59,210 for panchayat bodies and 72,438 for municipal elections. Voting will be conducted across 2,171 polling stations for panchayat elections, 67 stations for IMC, and 12 stations for PMC.

Authorities have assured that adequate security measures have been put in place to ensure smooth polling, despite isolated incidents of unrest.