5 parties to support independent candidate in Arunachal bypoll

Five political parties in Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday unanimously decided not to field any candidate for Khonsa West assembly bypoll,scheduled for October 21, and would support an independent candidate Chakat Aboh, wife of Tirong Aboh.

The bypoll was necessitated after Tirong Aboh, who was elected from the seat in the last state assembly elections in May this year, was shot dead by suspected NSCN militants at 12 Mile area in Tirap district before the counting.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu convened an all-party meeting at his office and said Chakat would be supported by the ruling BJP, Congress, People's Party of Arunachal (PPA), National People's Party (NPP) and Janata Dal United (JDU).

"The members of the political parties during the meeting decided not to field any candidate but to support Chakat Aboh who will contest the by-election as an independent candidate," Khandu told reporters during a press conference here.

Aboh, who was seeking a re-election from the constituency on a ticket from NPP, was on his way to Khonsa from Dibrugarh in Assam on May 21, when the suspected NSCN rebels opened fire at him and 10 others including his son and security personnel.

He was elected from the Khonsa West seat in 2014 on a PPA ticket.

Khandu said, "If any candidate will contest the bypoll, we all will fight jointly to ensure her (Chakat) victory as a tribute to Tirong Aboh, who sacrificed his life for the state."