ITANAGAR, Dec 24 - The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Arunachal Pradesh won both the Likabali and Pakke-Kessang Assembly seats today. The State went to bye-election to the two seats on December 21 last.
BJP�s Biyuram Wahge won Pakke-Kessang seat defeating his lone rival from Congress and former Deputy Chief Minister Kameng Dolo by 479 votes.
Pakke-Kessang constituency with 7,445 voters had recorded 86 per cent polling in the bye-poll. Wahge secured 3,603 votes as against Dolo�s 3,124.
The seat had fallen vacant after Gauhati High Court declared null and void the election of Dolo in the 2014 polls following an election petition filed against him by BJP nominee and former Minister Atum Welly.
At Likabali, Kardo Nyigyor of BJP defeated his nearest rival Gumke Riba of People�s Party of Arunachal (PPA) by 305 votes.
Out of 7,677 votes polled, the BJP candidate secured 3,461 votes as against 3,156 votes secured by PPA nominee. Independent candidate Sengo Taipodia got 675 votes and Modam Dini of Congress 362, while 23 votes went into the account of NOTA.
Fifty-one per cent voter turnout was recorded in the constituency which witnessed a multi-cornered fight. Five out of 39 polling stations recorded zero per cent polling as voters had boycotted the bye-election protesting against the State Government�s alleged failure to provide them a good road connectivity.
The bye-poll to Likabali seat was necessitated following the death of incumbent Health and Family Welfare Minister Jomde Kena on September 4 last.
With today�s win, the strength of BJP has increased to 49 in the 60-member Assembly, while Opposition PPA has nine members and Congress and Independent one each.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pema Khandu has congratulated the people of Pakke-Kessang and Likabali for reposing faith on BJP by giving their mandate to party candidates in the bye-poll, the results of which were declared on Sunday.
Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju also congratulated the party members on winning the bye-poll.
State Congress president Takam Sanjoy accepting the people�s mandate said, �we accept the defeat of INC in Likabali and Pakke-Kessang bye-elections with humility�.
