Arunachal holds record for electing unopposed candidates 

Itanagar, Sep 16 : Barring the 1995 Assembly polls, Arunachal Pradesh is perhaps the only state in the North East region to have at least one candidate to get elected without any contest in every election since 1977. 

So, far eleven MLAs and one MP being elected unopposed in the state. 

In 1977 Parliamentary polls Congress nominee R K Khirmey was elected unopposed from Arunachal West constituency and remained the first and only MP in the state to have been elected uncontested.  

The first Parliamentary poll in the state was held after 25 years of the first Indian general election. 

As far as Assembly elections are concerned, two candidates were elected unopposed in the first assembly polls in 1978.  

The candidates were P K Thungon (Dirang-Kalaktang) and Nokeong Boham from Niausa-Kanubari constituency, contesting from Janata Party. 

In 1980, Wangnam Wangshu of Peoples’ Party of Arunachal (PPA) was elected un-contested from Niausa-Kanubari constituency, while Congress candidate Chera Talo was elected from Koloriang in 1984.  

Mr Talo re-elected unopposed from the same constituency in 1990 as a Congress nominee. 

Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and Thupten Tempa (both Congress candidates) were elected un-opposed from Tawang and Mukto constituencies respectively in 1990. 

However, the assembly elections in 1995 witnessed multi-cornered contest in all the 60 constituencies hence no un-contested candidate. 

The 1999 Assembly polls in the state created a record of sort with four Congress candidates winning the battle of ballots without any contest.  

They were Thupten Tempa (Tawang), Rajesh Tacho (Anini), Mukhut Mithi (Roing) and T L Rajkumar from Khonsa (East). 

The last Assembly election in 2004 saw three Congress candidates getting elected un-contested.  

Mr Khandu was elected from Mukto Assembly constituency, while the other two candidates include Tsering Gyurme (Dirang) and Nabam Tuki from Sagalee respectively.