Arunachal Congress gains two NPP MLAs

Our Correspondent

Itanagar: The Congress in Arunachal Pradesh received a shot in its arms with the joining of two NPP MLAs swelling its strength to five in the 60-member Legislative Assembly.

Former ministers along with their 1000s of supporters frustrated with the functioning of the BJP, joined Congress during a function in Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan here.

The present Congress strength of three MLAs including Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Takam Pario, former chief minister Nabam Tuki and Markio Tado, rose to five with joining of two NPP MLAs Tapang Taloh and Rajesh Tacho. Other new comers included former ministers Komoli Mossang and Lichi Legi and prominent leader Eri Tayo, who joined while expressing their faith in the leadership of AICC president Rahul Gandhi and APCC president Takam Sanjoy.

Welcoming them to Congress, Pario said that these leaders will make a difference with the assembly and Lok Sabha elections knocking at the door.

Congress, the largest and oldest secular part of India, welcomes those who are against anti-national forces and parties and also committed to work for greater welfare of the nation and humanity, Sanjoy said in his statement to welcome all of them and termed it as ghar wapsi as most of them were in Congress earlier.

It would be worth mentioning here that Congress had won the people’s mandate in 2014 assembly elections to form the government led by Chief Minister Nabam Tuki but, according to Sanjoy, their MLAs were hijacked by the BJP to form government, in total violation of democratic principles. But, 43 MLAs led by chief minister Pema Khandu including assembly speaker TN Thongdok had joined PPA, leaving Congress with only Tuki. The Congress, which had accused the BJP of engineering the defection, described the PPA as the “illegitimate child” of the saffron party.

Also Read: Congress approves Takam Pario as Arunachal’s CLP leader