A total of over 7 lakh voters will exercise their franchise for the Assembly election on Thursday in Arunachal Pradesh. Altogether 181 candidates including 11 women are in the fray for 57 assembly constituencies out of total 60 seats in the state.


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The BJP has fielded candidates in 57 Assembly seats while Congress is contesting in 46 seats, the NPP in 30 seats, JDU in 15 constituencies, JDS (12), PPA (9) and one from the All India Party (AIP). There are also 11 Independent in the fray for the Assembly polls in the state.



This time, there are also 11 polling stations in the state that will exclusively be for women.


The state has 281 vulnerable polling booths and 662 critical polling stations where security personnel would be deployed. For the first time, Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) would be used along with electronic voting machines in all the polling stations.


For poll day monitoring, SMS-based poll monitor system would be used and vehicles carrying reserve EVMs would be fitted with GPS in all cellular network covered areas.


Counting of votes would be conducted on May 23 next.


Necessary arrangements, including adequate deployment of security personnel in insurgency-hit districts, have been made for the smooth conduct of election.


A total of 45 companies of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPF) comprising ITBP, CRPF, IRBn, along with over 7,000 state civil police personnel have been deployed.


Mobile phones have been arranged where wireless sets do not function for officials to pass on information through WhatsApp while dak runners would be pressed into service where both systems are not accessible.


The ruling BJP had already opened its account in the assembly poll by winning three seats unopposed. The winners are Kento Jini from Along East constituency in West Siang district, Taba Tedir from Yachuli seat in Lower Subansiri district and Phurpa Tsering from Dirang seat in West Kameng district.