ITANAGAR, Oct 3 - For the first time in the history of electoral politics in Arunachal Pradesh, two Independent candidates are in the fray for by-election to an Assembly seat in the State.
�Two Independent candidates � Chakat Aboh and Azet Homtok � are in the fray for the Khonsa West Assembly bypoll after two others namely, Yumsem Matey and Wangchu Lowang, withdrew their candidature on October 3, the last day of withdrawal of candidature,� Joint Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Arunachal Pradesh, DJ Bhattacharjee, said in a statement here.
He informed that a total of 115 polling personnel would be engaged for conducting the bypoll in 23 polling stations in the constituency, adding that the training of the polling officials is scheduled this week.
The Joint CEO said that due to the sensitive character of the constituency, precautionary arrangements have been made to prevent any untoward incident during the by-election. Adequate security will be provided to the contesting candidates, he added.
Bhattacharjee said that the Election Commission of India has deployed two observers � Monoranjan Dutta (general observer) and Parneet Singh (expenditure observer) to oversee the poll process. The poll panel has requested all the voters of the constituency to cooperate with the district administration and the election machinery for peaceful conduct of the bypoll, he added.
It may be mentioned here that Chakat Aboh, widow of former NPP MLA Tirong Aboh, is being backed by five major political parties, including the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, for the October 21 by-election.
The bypoll to the seat was necessitated after Aboh, who contested the April 11 Assembly election as the NPP nominee and got re-elected, was gunned down by suspected NSCN militants in Tirap district on May 21, two days before the poll results.
