Cong asks Tuki to reach out to rebels

NEW DELHI: The Congress leadership has asked Nabam Tuki to open channels of communication with all the dissident leaders, including Kalikho Pul, and take everybody on board in strengthening the party in Arunachal Pradesh.

Soon after the Supreme Court verdict, Tuki said he is already in touch with the rebel legislators and will soon establish fresh contact with Pul.

“They continue to be Congress legislators… They are part of the Congress family,” he said.

“Kalikho Pul has not come from some other party. We have assured them that if there are grievances, those will be addressed. We are talking to everyone and all of them want to be in Congress.”

As of now, Tuki claimed that the Congress has 47 legislators in the 60-member assembly. “We have a clear majority in the assembly. There is nothing to worry.”

For his part, senior leader Kapil Sibal also tried to reach out to the rebels. “The political message to them is that they are part of our family,” he said.

Later in the day, Tuki called on Congress president Sonia Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence. Both Sonia and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who was also present there, congratulated him. “They asked me to talk to all Congress MLAs and strengthen the party,” he said after the meeting.

Congress leaders were of the view that there is no need for Tuki to take fresh oath as the chief minister. But Sibal said the situation reverts back to December 15 last year. “Everything thereafter, therefore, is irrelevant.”

The verdict restores the political status quo in the state as of December 15, 2015. The five-judge bench, headed by Justice JS Khehar, said the “clock should be turned back” in Arunachal Pradesh. The Congress government, led by Tuki, was dismissed after 21 MLAs rebelled against him and the state was brought under President’s rule on January 26. Pul was sworn in as chief minister on February 19 with the support of Congress rebels and 11 BJP legislators.

Sources close to Tuki said he will take a legal opinion on convening the assembly session and seeking a trust vote.

As of now, there is no clarity on the issue. “When the assembly meets, then we will see what happens,” is all what Sibal had to say.

Tuki is leaving for Itanagar on Thursday and may take charge immediately. He is also expected to convene a cabinet meeting soon on his arrival in Itanagar.