Itanagar, March 13 : The nominations of former Deputy Speaker Ninong Ering and former education minister Takam Sanjoy as Congress candidates ahead of the other party heavyweights for the April 16 parliamentary elections belied the belief that the latter would get a look in.
For a change, the party that traditionally backed winning candidates has shown a shift in attitude as Ering and Sanjoy had lost the last Assembly elections in 2004 from their respective constituencies to their BJP rivals.
“The high command had a tough time choosing Sanjoy for the Arunachal West seat and Ering for the Arunachal East seat, but it reposed faith in the two who have seen much of state politics over the years. We are hopeful that the Congress will regain the two parliamentary seats from the BJP,” parliamentary affairs minister and government spokesperson Tako Dabi said.
Ering, the son of former deputy Union minister of food and agriculture Daying Ering, contested on a Congress ticket and lost to BJP candidate Bosiram Siram from Pasighat East Assembly constituency.
Dabi said though the high command had a tough choice in choosing the names among the 13 candidates, it had rightly selected efficient candidates for the April 16 parliamentary polls.
Arunachal Pradesh Youth Congress president, Likha Saya, adviser to chief minister Takam Sanjoy, chairperson of Arunachal Pradesh Rajiv Gandhi Panchayati Raj Sangathan Jarjum Ete, former minister T.C. Teli, former minister Neelam Taram and the general secretary of All India Youth Congress Nyamar Karbak were in the fray for the Arunachal West parliamentary constituency for the ruling party.
