Arunachal Pradesh: 18 BJP leaders quit ahead of polls

Itanagar, Mar 20 (IBNS): In a setback for the saffron party ahead of national and Arunachal Pradesh Assembly elections, 18 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of the state quit, media reports said.

The leaders, which include two ministers and six lawmakers, quit the party after they were denied tickets to contest the elections.

The 18 leaders have joined Conrad Sangmas National Peoples Party (NPP).

The latest switch took the number of northeast BJP leaders, who recently quit the saffron brigade, to 25.

Several of BJPs allies in the northeast are going to fight the Lok Sabha polls alone.

The General Elections will begin on Apr 11 and end on May 19.

The poll results will be declared on May 23.

The Arunchal Assembly elections will also be held on Apr 11.