Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

PATNA: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) won seven of the 15 assembly seats the party contested on its own in Arunachal Pradesh and emerged the second largest party after the BJP, which bagged 37 seats to form the government. If JD(U) does not join the government, it would be the main opposition party in that the state.

JD(U)’s Techi Kaso ( Itanagar seat), Talem Taboh (Rumgung), Dorjee Wangdi (Kalaktang-Rupa), Kanggong Taku (Mariyang-Geku), Dongru Siongju (Bomdila), Jikke Tako (Tali) and Hayeng Mangfi (Chayeng-Tajo seat) emerged the winners.

The party has convened a meeting of its newly elected legislators in Itanagar on Saturday to elect its legislature party leader.

JD(U national general secretary and party’s incharge for northeast states, Afaque Ahmad Khan, on Friday told TOI over phone from Itanagar that it would also decide in the proposed meeting to either support the BJP-led government or remain in the opposition.

JD(U), which won 16 of the 17 Lok Sabha seats it contested in Bihar with BJP and LJP, however, forfeited its security deposits in the three parliamentary seats it contested in Uttar Pradesh and one each in Lakshadweep and Manipur. It had contested from Akbarpur, Robertsganj and Pilibhit in UP, Lakshadweep and Outer Manipur parliamentary seats.

Except Lakshadweep where JD(U) candidate Dr Mohammad Sadique managed to secure 1,342 votes (2.85%), its other candidates failed to secure even 1% of the votes polled in rest four seats outside Bihar. Mohammed Faizal of NCP won the Lakshadweep seat.

JD(U) candidate from Outer Manipur, Hangkhanpau Taithul, secured 2,987 votes, which were only 0.35% of the total votes polled in the constituency. Naga Peoples’ Front candidate Lorho S Pfoze won the seat.

In UP, JD(U) had fielded its candidates in three seats where the NDA had won in 2014.JD(U)’s Pilibhit candidate Dr Bharat got only 0.14% (1,624) of the total votes polled in the constituency where BJP’s Feroze Varun Gandhi emerged victorious by bagging 7,04,549 votes.

In Akbarpur, Ravi Sachan of JD(U) got only 0.1% (1,028) of the votes polled. BJP’s sitting MP Devendra Singh ‘Bhole’ retained the seat.

Similarly, Anita Kol of JD(U) secured 6,683 votes (0.68%) in Robertsganj where Apna Dal (Sonelal) candidate Pakauri Lal Kol won by securing 4,47,914 votes.

