Once again the Congress party received a jolt in Arunachal Pradesh lost its government, after almost all of its lawmakers in the state, including Chief Minister Pema Khandu, who sworn in two months back, have joined the local People’s Party of Arunachal.
Sources said Mr. Khandu, who two months ago became Chief Minister in a development that restored the Congress government, along with 43 Congress MLAs, joined the PPA and virtually converted it into a PPA government.
The only MLA who has stayed with the Congress is Nabam Tuki, who was replaced as Chief Minister when the Congress, in an effort to control the rebellion in its ranks replaced him with Mr. Khandu in July.
43 out of the total 46 Congress MLA’s unanimously decided to merge with the PPA en-bloc along with current Chief Minister Pema Khandu. Founded in 1979, the PPA is a part of the North-East Democratic Alliance, a platform of 10 regional North Eastern parties under the aegis of the BJP and was formed in May 2016 by BJP president Amit Shah. Currently, BJP heavyweight from Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma is incharge of the alliance.
Status of two Congress MLAs are yet to be decided as they put in their papers before the recent series of political developments that led to first Tuki government falling in January 2016, imposition of President’s rule and installation of the late Kalikho Pul government for a short span.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday blamed internal dissent in Congress for the political turmoil in Arunachal Pradesh. Rijiju, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, said his party BJP has no role in the latest political development in the state and the Congress MLAs were “angry with their own leadership” leading to their joining of People’s Party of Arunachal Pradesh.
It is the second time this year that the Congress has been hit hard by rebellion. “Congress MLAs including the Chief Minister in Arunachal are angry with their own central leadership. They have to wait in Delhi for 4-5 days to meet their own leaders. This has eventually led to MLAs joining a regional party. There is no more Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh,” the minister said.
