Arunachal: Sitting MLA & NPP candidate Thangwang Wangham attacked

Itanagar: Sitting Longding-Pumao MLA and National People’s Party (NPP) candidate Thangwang Wangham allegedly came under attack during polling for the state assembly elections on Thursday over a misunderstanding between supporters of the party and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Sources informed EastMojo that the incident occurred after an old lady willing to vote for the NPP sought the help from one of the volunteers present at the booth to help her cast vote, as she was not sure of the voting process (which button to press).

This allegedly provoked the BJP supporters present outside the booth who reportedly misunderstood that the woman volunteer, who acknowledged helping the old woman, forcefully asked her to vote for the NPP.

Also Read: Watch: Poll booth ‘captured’, Arunachal voters return empty-handed

Sources said that following this, the BJP supporters got furious. When Wangham, who was present on the occasion, tried to pacify, members of a faction of the rebel group NSCN present near the polling station started to fire gun shots.

Security personnel present at the site tried to retaliate and control the situation following which there was chaos in the polling booth. The leader was later whisked away from the spot by the security personnel, said sources.

Wangham was elected from the Longding-Pumao seat in the 2014 Arunachal Pradesh Assembly election.