"Thumping mandate for development": Arunachal CM on BJP’s big win in panchayat and civic body polls

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Sunday, December 21 described the Bharatiya Janata Party’s performance in the recently concluded Panchayat and Municipal elections as a “thumping mandate,” attributing the decisive victory to public trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and the BJP-led NDA government.

Addressing the media, the Chief Minister thanked the people of Arunachal Pradesh for reposing faith in the BJP and its allies, stating that the results reflected widespread approval of the party’s development-oriented governance over the past decade.

According to the official figures shared by Khandu, the BJP secured 170 out of 245 Zilla Parishad Member seats, while NDA partners won 68 seats, taking the alliance’s total tally to 238 seats. In the Gram Panchayat Members (GPM) segment, out of 8,208 seats, the BJP won over 6,000 seats, while NDA partners secured 1,754 seats, amounting to 7,754 seats out of 7,957 counted so far.

In the Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC), the BJP emerged victorious in 14 of the 20 ward seats, with the remaining seats won by NDA partners.

The Chief Minister said the people of Arunachal Pradesh have witnessed tangible development over the last ten years under BJP rule, which has resulted in the party registering a third consecutive victory with a commanding majority.

“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the people of the state, our party workers, the state BJP president, and district-level office bearers for this historic win. The mandate reflects the deep trust people have in both the state and central governments,” Khandu said.

Highlighting Arunachal Pradesh’s governance innovations, the Chief Minister pointed out that the state is the only one in the country to have implemented the SPICE model of development—Sustainable Participatory Inclusive Comprehensive Empowerment—for the past four years. Under this model, the state allocates 10 per cent of its own resources to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) through systematic devolution.

He detailed that ₹123 crore was allocated to PRIs in 2022–23, followed by ₹143.11 crore in 2023–24, ₹163.98 crore in 2024–25, and ₹223.74 crore in the current 2025–26 financial year. The model, which involves direct handholding and funding support to Panchayat institutions, has received appreciation from the 16th Finance Commission of the Government of India.

In line with the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, the state government is ensuring the transfer of funds, functions, and functionaries to Panchayati Raj Institutions, Khandu added.

To strengthen grassroots governance, the state has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Institute of Rural Management, a Gujarat-based institution, to provide structured training to newly elected Zilla Parishad and Gram Panchayat members, including Zilla Parishad Chairpersons. The training will focus on modern management practices, leadership development, local-level planning, governance skills, and the vision of Viksit Bharat at the village level.

The Chief Minister said that following the conclusion of election formalities, the selection of Gram Panchayat Chairpersons and Zilla Parishad Chairpersons will be completed by January 10, 2026, after which the training schedules will be rolled out by the Panchayati Raj Department.