In a nation where every election, big or small, is fiercely contested and where each seat has several contestants, there is still one state where people become MLAs without a fight.

Three former ministers of Arunachal Pradesh have been elected unopposed to the state assembly -- all on Congress tickets, according to official statistics available in Itanagar.

The lucky trio is Dorjee Khandu (Mukto), Tsering Gyurmey (Dirang assembly seat) and Nabam Tuki (Sagalee).

The state has a history of MLAs being elected without a contest. Chera Talo won unopposed from Koloriang in 1994 and 1990, Thupten Tempa (Tawang) in 1990 and 1999 and Dorjee Khandu (Mukto) in 1990 and this year.

So far, 11 leaders have been returned to the state assembly unopposed since 1978 - three of them twice.

The distinction of winning unopposed for the first time goes to former chief minister P K Thungon who had won the Dirang-Kalaktang seat on a Janata Party ticket. His party colleague Noksang Boham was the second person to be elected unopposed from Niasua-Kanubari seat in 1978.

In the next election in 1980, erstwhile Peoples Party of Arunachal (PPA) candidate W Wangshu was returned to the state assembly unopposed from Kanubari.