BJP treads on Chakma thin ice, The Telegraph, 4 May 2004

BJP treads on Chakma thin ice

RIPUNJOY DAS

Naharlagun, May 3: The Chakma-Hajong issue, lack of enthusiasm among the voters and occasional heavy downpour have marred electioneering in Arunachal Pradesh. The state, with a total electorate of 6,83,480, will go to poll for its two seats on Wednesday. Six candidates are in fray for the Arunachal East constituency. However, the main fight is between Tapir Gao of the BJP and Wancha Rajkumar of the Congress, who is backed by the Arunachal Congress (AC), according to the seat-sharing arrangements between the Congress and the Arunachal Congress. The East constituency has 27 Legislative Assembly segments and the voter strength is 2,89,123. Though geographically smaller than the West, the East constituency had become the focal point of the elections this time. The Chakma and Hajongs live in Bordumsa, Miao and Chowkham Assembly constituencies under the Changlang and Lohit districts. All the three constituencies are under the East Lok Sabha constituency. The Election Commission has declared 458 as “sensitive” and “hypersensitive”. Rajkumar and Tapir are set to have a tough fight. Rajkumar had defeated Gao in the 1999 elections by a margin of 41,403 votes. Given the tradition that the ruling party candidates in the state generally win in the parliamentary elections, the BJP stands a fair chance to “avenge its defeat”, poll analysts believe. However, the BJP has found itself on a sticky wicket with the inclusion of 1,497 Chakma and Hajong refugees in the electoral rolls, which has also given the Opposition alliance of Congress-Arunachal Congress “a hot and very sentimental weapon” to launch scathing attacks on the BJP and the NDA at the Centre and United Democratic Front government in the state. “We can well understand the gravity of the situation, but how can there be any solution without elections. After all, we need to elect someone to voice our concern on the issue on the floor of Parliament,” a BJP leader said. Another advantage of the Congress candidate is that he belongs to the Nocte tribe, which has a significant number of voters in the constituency, particularly in the Tirap district. The four other candidates in the fray, Matwang Chimyang, Ogong Tamuk, Onom Taknyo and Tony Pertin, are contesting as Independents.