Itanagar, Mar 26 (IANS): Union Minister and BJP nominee Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday filed his nomination for the Arunachal West parliamentary constituency, where elections would be held in the first phase of polling on April 19.

Accompanied by Chief Minister Pema Khandu and MLAs Kento Jini and Nyamar Karbak, Rijiju filed his papers at Aalo, the headquarters of West Siang district.

After submitting his candidatures, Rijiju said on the X: “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Hon'ble CM Shri Pema Khandu ji for his presence and support during the filing of my nomination papers. With BJP under the strong leadership of Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi ji, Arunachal Pradesh is on the path to progress and success.”

Meanwhile, former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister and Congress’ state unit President, Nabam Tuki, also filed his nomination from the same Arunachal West seat.

Six-time MLA, 60-year-old Congress leader Tuki has been the sitting MLA from the Sagalee constituency in the Papumpare district since 1991.

Rijiju, BJP’s one of the prominent leaders in the northeastern region, won the seat for the third time in the 2019 elections, including second consecutive time and secured 204,553 votes.

He defeated Congress candidate Nabam Tuki by a margin of 1,74,843 votes.

He was first elected to the 14th Lok Sabha from the Arunachal West parliamentary constituency in 2004 but lost the electoral battle in 2009 to Congress candidate Takam Sanjoy.

The 53-year old leader was re-elected to the 16th Lok Sabha in 2014 and was inducted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi into the Council of Ministers as a Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

A member of the Nyishi tribe, Rijiju, was again reelected in the 17th Lok Sabha in 2019 from the same Arunachal West constituency and was appointed as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports and Minister of State for Minority Affairs.

With two Lok Sabha seats -- Arunachal West and Arunachal East -- Arunachal Pradesh will have simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the first phase on April 19.

The northeastern state has 60 assembly constituencies.

Counting of votes for the assembly polls will take place on June 2, and for the Lok Sabha elections on June 4.