Itanagar, Nov 28: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday launched the BJP’s panchayat election campaign in Tawang, urging people to strengthen grassroots democracy by supporting what he called “candidates of development, accountability and a brighter future.”
Khandu, in a social media post, said the campaign began with the spirited call of ‘Vande Mataram’ and heartfelt salutations to ‘Maa Bharti’, as enthusiastic party workers, leaders and youth echoed chants of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai!’
“People of Tawang today came out in overwhelming numbers, not just to participate, but to stand firmly with the BJP,” he said in a post on X after addressing an election rally.
The chief minister added that with the BJP governing at the Centre, in the state, and deeply rooted at the grassroots, the state now had a historic opportunity to change the destiny of the people.
Calling for unified support ahead of the local body polls, Khandu appealed to voters to stand behind his party’s nominees.
“As we move towards the upcoming panchayat elections, I appeal to every citizen to place their faith in BJP candidates; the candidates of development, accountability, and a brighter future for our villages,” he said.
Panchayat polls and municipal elections in Itanagar and Pasighat will be held simultaneously on December 15.
According to the State Election Commission (SEC), the panchayat polls will cover 27 zilla parishads with 245 constituencies and 2,103 gram panchayats comprising 8,181 constituencies.
In the municipal areas, the Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC) has 20 wards, while the Pasighat civic body has eight wards.
A total of 8,31,648 voters are eligible to cast their ballots, including 7,59,210 for panchayat bodies and 72,438 for the two municipal bodies.
For the smooth conduct of the polls, the SEC has set up 2,171 polling stations for the panchayat elections, 67 for the IMC and 12 for the PMC.
Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be used in the municipal elections, while the panchayat polls will be conducted using ballot boxes. Counting of votes will take place on December 20.(PTI)
