NATION | Saturday, October 24, 2009 | Email | Print | 
A woman and 35 crorepatis win Arunachal poll
Sanat K Chakraborty | Guwahati
Even if there was an ‘overwhelming participation’ with over 74 per cent polling in October 13 election in Arunachal Pradesh, money turned out to be the real winner.
All the 35 crorepatis, including a woman, among 157 candidates who contested the elections to the 60-member State Assembly, have easily won their respective seats. In 2004, there were only 14 crorepatis. Among those winners — 25 belonged to the Congress, four People’s Party of Arunachal Pradesh, three from the NCP, two BJP and one independent candidate, the lone woman winner was Nang Sati Mein.
She defeated veteran politician of Trinamool Congress CP Namchoom from Namsai constituency in the Changlang district.
Another bubbly woman, not a crorepati but a debutant Trinamool Congress candidate, Karya Bagang, trounced veteran Congress leader and former deputy Chief Minister Kameng Dolo. In a highly patriarchal society, Dolo's defeat is seen as a major accomplishment in gender justice. All together nine women, including former Chief Minister's wife, Pomoya Mithi, tried their luck in the elections.
Commenting on the election results Nani Bath of Rajiv Gandhi University at Doimukh, who was a member of the National Election Watch (NEW), opined that the increasing number of crorepatis in the Legislative Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh and their easy victory “reflects the commercialisation of politics”.
This trend if continued would render people’s participation meaningless, he felt.
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