Itanagar: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate and wife of former BJP leader Jambey Tashi, Tsering Lhamu was on Friday officially declared elected unopposed in the bye-election to Lumla Assembly Constituency in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
Friday (February 10) was the last date for withdrawal of candidature for the Lumla bye-poll that was necessitated following the premature demise of incumbent MLA and Tsering Lhamu’s husband, Jambey Tashi on November 2 last.
“Soon after the last hour for the withdrawal of candidatures, Rinchin Dorjee Thungon, Returning Officer, 1-Lumla (ST) Assembly Constituency declared the lone candidate Smti Tsering Lhamu from Bharatiya Janata Party as duly elected to fill the seat of Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly from 1-Lumla Assembly Constituency,” State’s in-charge Chief Electoral Officer Liken Koyu said.
The certificate of election in Form-22 was also handed over to Lhamu by the Returning Officer soon after declaration of the result of the election, Koyu said.
With her election to the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, the total strength of women legislators in the 60-member House has risen to five, while her party BJP’s strength remained unchanged at 49.
In the 60-member Assembly, the opposition Congress and the National People’s Party (NPP) – an NDA partner – have four legislators each. There are also three Independents.
Even though the People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) had initially announced the candidature of Leki Norbu for the February 27 bye-polls but the former Gaon Burah did not file his nomination against the BJP nominee Tsering Lhamu which ultimately led to her unopposed election to the State Assembly.
Mention may be made that the BJP had won 41 seats in the 2019 Assembly polls. However, six of the seven MLAs of new entrant Janata Dal (United) had crossed over to the Saffron camp in December 2020 and the last leader in August 2022, giving a big blow to JD(U) chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The lone PPA legislator had also followed suit, surging the ruling party’s strength to 49.
