[ Amar Sangno ]
ITANAGAR, 15 Apr: The oldest town in Arunachal, Pasighat, is bracing for a battle between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate and two-time MLA Kaling Moyong and retired engineer and National People’ Party (NPP) candidate Tapi Darang for the 38th Pasighat East assembly constituency.
The NPP is part of the Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA) led by the BJP, meaning that NEDA members BJP
and NPP will lock horns in 38th Pasighat Eastassembly constituency.
A graduate from Hans Raj College of Delhi University, Moyong’s political journey began in 2009 when he lost to former education minister and Congress MLA Bosiram Siram.
Moyong came back stronger when he managed to unseat Siram in 2014. He got elected again in 2019, defeating his old rival Siram. It is said that Moyong is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s favourite legislator from the Siang belt as Modi came twice to Pasighat, in 2014 and 2019, to campaign for Moyong and Tapir Gao.
To defend his constituency, Moyong is taking on former PWD superintendent engineer (SE) Tapi Darang in the upcoming assembly election.
“Pasighat, as the oldest town in Arunachal Pradesh, holds a unique historical significance. My vision is for Pasighat to emerge as a beacon of progress, setting an example for other towns,” said Moyong.
“This entails prioritising the enhancement of our health sector to ensure top-notch medical facilities accessible to all residents. I am committed to providing our children with the finest education, nurturing their talents, and preparing them for a competitive future,” he added.
“Additionally, infrastructure development will remain a key focus area, extending beyond Pasighat to encompass all villages within the 38th constituency. By investing in these areas, we can foster sustainable growth and prosperity, transforming Pasighat into a model town for the entire region,” he said.
On other hand, former PWS SE Darang is trying hard to create an anti-incumbency wave against Moyong to dislodge him.
Darang retired as the PWD Eastern Zone SE in 2022. He shared his strategies to outplay the incumbent MLA by identifying the top issues that matter to voters in the constituency and working on well-thought-our solutionsand policies to address the issues.
“We (he and his party) are projecting to show how our party’s platform aligns with the aspirations of the electorate. We initiated activities such as data collection, projection, ground-level games, volunteer mobilisation and engagement with local communities, along with finance and resource management,” Darang said.
He added that his team is “establishing the change-makers in the constituency’s villages and places, and we are going to play a prominent role in the upcoming elections’campaigning and take our programmes to the grassroots level and be helpful to people on behalf of our party and explain the importance of the NPP to win in the upcoming elections.”
“I am one hundred percent confident about my candidature as a winning candidate, because I have prepared many political strategies in all aspects, including grassroots and booth-level poll management in the assembly constituency.
“I will bring glory to our constituency and carry on the noble works,” he pledged.
