The National People’s Party or NPP, the only national party representing the Northeast region, is set to field 30 candidates in the upcoming elections for the 60-member Arunachal Pradesh Assembly, announced the party’s State unit President Thangwang Wangham on Friday.
The Arunachal Pradesh Assembly elections are anticipated to coincide with the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.
While the NPP is an ally of the ruling BJP in many Northeastern States, including Arunachal Pradesh, Wangham clarified the party would contest the upcoming Assembly polls independently.
“After the Assembly polls, we may ally with the BJP,” mentioned Wangham.
In the 2019 Arunachal Pradesh Assembly elections, the NPP, led by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, contested 30 seats and secured victories in five. Tragically, one of its candidates, Tirong Aboh, fell victim to suspected militants before the election results were announced.
Recent political shifts saw two NPP MLAs, along with two Congress MLAs, joining the ruling BJP last month. Consequently, the BJP now holds 53 seats in the State Assembly, followed by the Congress and the NPP, each with two seats. Additionally, there are three independent members in the Assembly.
