In Arunachal West, Kiren Rijiju keen to break jinx with victory
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which proposed to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees, has unsettled the indigenous tribal communities. Arunachal West constituency was also the theatre of violence as mobs in February protested Permanent Resident Certificates to non-Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe Communities.
Bad weather forced Kiren Rijiju, minister of state in the Union Home Ministry back to capital Itanagar on Thursday, dashing his hopes of casting his vote. The 47-year-old is one of the BJP’s well-known faces, and will be looking to break a jinx on this constituency that has not returned the incumbent in the last three polls. Rijiju, the incumbent, had lost in the 2009 polls after winning the seat in 2004. The seat covers 33 assembly constituencies, including capital Itanagar. Jarjum Ete, a popular woman politician who resigned from the Congress and is contesting on a Janata Dal (Secular) ticket, is also in fray. The Congress fielded formed chief minister Nabam Tuki.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which proposed to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees, has unsettled the indigenous tribal communities. Arunachal West constituency was also the theatre of violence as mobs in February protested Permanent Resident Certificates to non-Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe Communities. Three persons died allegedly in firing by security personnel.
In 2014, Rijiju won by over 41,000 votes Takam Sanjoy from Congress.
