Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Election Results in 1980

Elections to the second term of the Legislative Assembly in Arunachal Pradesh were held in January 1980, after President’s rule was imposed in the state for a brief period in between, from November 1979 to January 1980. This was the only time in the history of the state that President’s rule was imposed. Owing to severe defections in the fluid political environment of the Janata Party rule in the Centre, the Thungan-led Janata Party regime in the state of Arunachal Pradesh lost the majority support, and hence the government fell leading to President’s rule in the state till 1980. Fresh elections were held in January of the same year, with a total of 95 candidates from various political parties contesting for a total of 30 Assembly constituencies. The Indian National Congress (I) as well as the People’s Party of Arunachal both won 13 Assembly seats each, while the independents won the remaining 4 seats. A coalition government of the Indian National Congress and independents was formed. R. N. Haldipur continued in the prestigious post of the Lieutenant Governor of Arunachal Pradesh for the first year of the second Assembly term, before he was replaced by H. S. Dubey and finally by former Intelligence Bureau Chief Thanjavelu Rajeswar, who remained the Lieutenant Governor till the end of this tenure. T. L. Rajkumar was the Speaker of the Arunachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha during this period, while P. W. Sona remained the Deputy Speaker. Gegong Apang of the Congress became the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh in 1980 and remained in power for more than a decade.

Some of the most important legislations passed in the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly during this period were:

• Arunachal Pradesh Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
• Arunachal Pradesh Anchal Forest Reserve (Constitution and Maintenance) Amendment Act, 1981

List of Successful Candidates in Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Election in 1980