Did Congress not name candidates in Arunachal over 'fear of China'? Viral claim is false

What is the claim?

As the 2024 Indian general election looms, a viral claim circulating on social media alleges that the Indian National Congress (INC) has not fielded any candidates from Arunachal Pradesh. This claim attempts to link the purported absence of candidates to a supposed 2009 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Congress and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

According to a 2008 report by India Today, Congress and the CCP signed an MoU on "important bilateral, regional, and international developments." The viral message insinuates a narrative suggesting that the lack of INC candidates in Arunachal Pradesh aligns with China's interests.

A Facebook user claimed, "Congress didn't field any candidate in Arunachal Pradesh because China might get angry and because it will be a breach of the 2009 MoU signed between the Congress and the Chinese Communist Party.* Additionally, despite commencing in the North East, *Pappu's Bharat Anyay Yatra* never entered Arunachal Pradesh. The reason being the same. The shameless Congress is in a partnership with India's enemy. Vote wisely in 2024. Do not forget the fact that *the Congress is the number one internal enemy of India (sic)." An archived version of the post can be found here. This narrative has also been shared on X (formerly Twitter), with archives available here and here. 

Screenshot of the viral social media posts. (Source: Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, contrary to the viral claim, the post inaccurately accuses the Congress party. In reality, the party has announced the nomination of 34 candidates for the 2024 Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Elections and has named two candidates for the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for April-May 2024.

What are the facts?

Arunachal Pradesh comprises two Lok Sabha constituencies — Arunachal East and Arunachal West — and 60 Assembly constituencies. According to a report in The Hindu dated March 21, 2024, the Congress announced the first list of candidates for 34 Assembly constituencies on March 21. The official X (formerly Twitter) account of the Arunachal Pradesh Congress also shared the list of candidates on March 21. The list includes the names of 34 candidates nominated by the party.

On March 30, the Congress released a final list of 19 qualified candidates for the Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh, scheduled to be held in a single phase on April 19, 2024.

Similarly, according to a report in The Times of India dated April 8, 2024, the Congress has nominated candidates for both parliamentary constituencies. These details are corroborated by information available on the Election Commission of India (ECI) website. According to the ECI, while Bosiram Siram is contesting from the Arunachal East constituency, Nabam Tuki is contesting from the Arunachal West constituency. The poll body has accepted both of their nominations. The Congress also shared this list on their official X account.

Likewise, the claim that Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Nyay Yatra’ did not enter Arunachal Pradesh is false. According to reports from various media outlets such as The Hindu and India Today, the Yatra entered Arunachal Pradesh from Assam on January 20, 2024.

The verdict

It is falsely claimed that Congress did not nominate candidates for the upcoming General and Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh. The party has named candidates for the two parliamentary seats and 34 Assembly constituencies. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.