[ Amar Sangno ]
ITANAGAR, Dec 2: The State Election Commission (SEC) on Wednesday deferred the election to the Gram Panchayat and Zilla Parishad constituencies of Vijoynagar area in Changlang district.
The SEC has cited that “prevailing law and order situation in Miao, as reported by the district electoral officer ahead of the filing of nomination” was the reason for deferring the election.
Sources informed that the district electoral officer of Changlang wrote a letter to the SEC informing that “students’ organisations were deploying their members to prevent any non-tribal from filing nomination” for the Zilla Parishad and Gram Panchayat seats in Miao.
Sources also informed that the state government has requested the SEC to postpone the Panchayat election in Vijoynagar following the inputs that “law and order situation may erupt anytime.”
In its order, the SEC states, “while considering the request of the state government and power conferred under 243-K of the Constitution of India, the state election commission hereby orders that the elections to the Gram Panchayat and Zilla Parishad constituencies under Vijoynagar administrative jurisdiction is deferred with immediate effect till the issue is resolved by the state government”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday withdrew the party tickets it had issued to non-indigenous candidates for the ZPM and GPM elections, following insurmountable pressure from the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) demanding immediate cancellation and withdrawal of the party tickets issued to non-Indigenous candidates.
The AAPSU had threatened to launch a series of democratic movements if the BJP did not withdraw or cancel the party tickets given to non-indigenous candidates anywhere in the state, particularly in Vijoynagar in Changlang district. The union had accused the BJP of undermining the scheduled tribe status of the people of Arunachal by giving party tickets to non-indigenous candidates.
The AAPSU and various students’ organisations, including the All Yobin Students Union and All Arunachal Pradesh Anti-Corruption Students Union have been opposing the electoral rights given to non-indigenous people of Vijoynagar in Panchayat election.
It is worth mentioning that there are nine census villages-Daragaon, Phapharbari, Geherigaon, Ramnagar, Buddha Mandhir, Topi Hill, Two Hut, Mazgaon and Chidudi, which are mostly inhabited by ex-Assam Rifles settlers in Vijoynagar. They had been participating in the Panchayati Raj elections since 1976. Lalbir Gurung was the first elected Anchal Samity Member from Majgaon village during the Panchayati Raj election in 1976.
With the postponement of the Panchayat election, the cloud of uncertainty looms large over Vijoynagar area of Changlang district.
