Arunachal: Senior BJP leaders vie for the lone Rajya Sabha seat
ITANAGAR: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appears to be walking a tightrope in selecting its candidate for the lone Rajya Sabha seat, with as many as 12 aspirants reportedly filing nominations.
This was disclosed by state BJP president Kaling Moyong during a press conference at the party office here on Sunday. However, Moyong declined to reveal the names of the contenders.
“It is confirmed that 12 candidates have filed their nominations for the Rajya Sabha seat. However, I cannot disclose their names at this stage,” Moyong said.
Highly placed sources in the party informed The Arunachal Times that the aspirants include Environment, Forest, Geology and Mining Minister Wangki Lowang; incumbent Rajya Sabha MP Nabam Rebia; former Lok Sabha MP and current Pasighat West MLA Ninong Ering; former ministers Taba Tedir and Tage Taki; former state BJP presidents Tai Tagak and Dr Tangor Tapak; former BJP general secretary and spokesperson and current Forest Corporation Chairman Nalong Mize; BJP Core Committee member Kenyir Ringu; former state office-bearer and current state executive member Dotam Sora; BJP Lohit district president and state Sahakar Bharati president Nuney Tayang; and noted entrepreneur and Kurung Kumey district BJP vice president Ha Tatu.
Lowang’s reported nomination for the Upper House marks a rare development in the state’s political history, as it is uncommon for a sitting Cabinet minister to seek a Rajya Sabha berth that could require him to relinquish both his ministerial position and Assembly seat. However, Lowang did not confirm the report when contacted by this daily through WhatsApp on Sunday.
Ering, who has served two terms as a Lok Sabha MP from the Arunachal East parliamentary constituency, has never concealed his desire to return to national politics in New Delhi, rather than continue serving in the state Legislative Assembly.
For the party leadership, particularly Chief Minister Pema Khandu and state BJP president Kaling Moyong, the decision may prove especially challenging in the case of former education minister Taba Tedir, who lost the 2024 Assembly election to Nationalist Congress Party MLA Toko Tatung. Tedir was widely regarded as one of the frontrunners for the post of the state BJP president last year.
Former minister Tage Taki is also considered a strong contender. Despite being denied a BJP ticket in the 2024 Assembly elections, Taki continues to command considerable influence within party circles.
Unverified sources further indicated that former state BJP president Tai Tagak is among the potential frontrunners for the Rajya Sabha seat. A dedicated party worker, Tagak rose through the ranks from the grassroots to the highest levels of the state party organisation, and reportedly enjoys strong support among BJP cadres.
Another prominent contender is BJP Core Committee member and social worker Kenyir Ringu, who has been associated with the party since 2014. Ringu is reportedly the lone woman aspirant in the race. She had contested the 2009 Assembly election from the Nari-Koyu constituency.
The BJP’s process of selecting Rajya Sabha candidates involves both internal party consultations and formal constitutional and electoral process. State BJP units, chief ministers and state presidents generally submit recommendations to the central leadership. In politically sensitive states, central observers are sometimes appointed to assess ground realities and prevent internal conflicts.
With a diverse field of aspirants and several influential leaders in contention, all eyes are now on the BJP leadership’s final decision on its nominee for the coveted Rajya Sabha seat.
