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Updated: May 23, 2019 20:39 IST

The BJP government in Arunachal Pradesh led by Pema Khandu is set to return to power in the northeastern state.

Till 8 pm, BJP had won 19 seats and was leading in 9. JD (U) had won 5 and was leading in 2 while Congress had won 3.

The newly formed Janata Dal (United) unit in the state, which is led by former chief minister Gegong Apang was a distant second with wins in 2 seats and leads in 2 others. The Congress had also won two seats.

“From east to west and north to south, the BJP wave is all over Arunachal,” Chief Minister Pema Khandu tweeted.

In February, when protests in Itanagar against granting of permanent citizenship certificates (PRC) to nearly 30,000 people from six communities claimed three lives and left many injured, it was assumed that it could impact BJP negatively.

As in the case of Citizenship (Amendment Bill), indigenous groups in Arunachal Pradesh felt that if the six communities, who have been residing in Changland and Namsai districts for several decades, are given PRC, it would adversely impact the ‘locals’.

The scale of the protests forced the BJP-led government to issue a statement stressing that the PRC would “never” be taken up again. The move seems to have worked in the saffron party’s favour.

In March, ahead of the polls, several BJP leaders who were disgruntled with distribution of tickets, switched sides to join the National People’s Party (a NDA ally) and the Congress. But that too didn’t impact BJP.

Senior BJP leader and convenor of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), a BJP-led platform of anti-Congress parties in the region, Himanta Biswa Sarma said in Arunachal Pradesh, a friendly contest between the BJP and the NPP helped to wipe out the Congress.

“Whoever did not get a ticket from the BJP went to the NPP and not to the Congress. The biggest thing that has happened is that we decided to contest in a friendly fight. This put Congress in a margin,” said Sarma.

Elections this time in Arunachal Pradesh was mired in violence and on Tuesday, two days ahead of counting, the NPP candidate from Khonsa West seat in Tirap and 10 others were killed in an ambush by suspected National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) militants. Tirong Aboh, the NPP candidate who was gunned down by the NSCN (IM), was leading against the BJP candidate from the Khonsa West seat.