Dramatic Cong move stuns BJP in Arunachal
Party feels timely action could have avoided turmoil in Northeast states
In a quick and dramatic turn of events on Saturday, the political drama in Arunachal Pradesh unfolded and concluded in what will be remembered as an exciting thriller by the Congress and a tragicomedy by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Just hours before Kalikho Pul, the rebel Congress leader who became chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh with the BJP’s outside support in January, was poised to win the floor test in the House, the beleaguered Congress Party succeeded in wresting the rebels and bringing them back to the party fold in one deft move — the party forced chief minister Nabam Tuki to step down and appointed Pema Khandu as the new leader of the Congress Legislature Party in his place, a jolt from the blue for the BJP’s Arunachal strategist Kiren Rijiju.
All Congress rebel MLAs, including Mr Pul, attended the Congress Legislature Party meeting on Saturday morning where Mr Khandu was elected unanimously.
After the CLP meeting, Mr Tuki, who was reinstated by the Supreme Court on Wednesday, immediately rushed to Raj Bhavan and submitted his resignation. Following which Mr Khandu, son of late chief minister Dorjee Khandu, staked his claim, with letters of support from 44 Congress MLAs, to form the government. PCC president Padi Richo, Mr Tuki, Mr Khandu and Jai Kumar accompanied him to Raj Bhavan.
After meeting the governor, Mr Khandu said that while the governor has accepted Mr Tuki’s resignation, he has not yet given any commitment about the
Although the developments in Arunachal Pradesh have boosted the morale of the Congress, especially the return of its rebel legislators on Saturday, the feeling in the party is that the state could have avoided the turmoil had the leadership acted timely and removed Nabam Tuki from the chief ministership.
“We lost Assam because the high command gave a long rope to Tarun Gogoi. Had he been replaced in 2013, the BJP would not have gained there and come to power. As far as Arunachal Pradesh is concerned, we emerged victorious after a legal and political battle, which was not necessary,” insiders said.
The central leadership not only ignored rebels in the two states, but also refused to take corrective measures and thus gave the space to political opponents, they said.
On Saturday, the Congress said people and legislators have rejected politics of defections and unseating of elected governments in the state and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah should draw lessons in democratic values.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said those who sought to keep constitutional principles aside, decimating them at the altar of power politics, have been shown the strength of democracy in the state.
“The Supreme Court, and now the people and the MLAs of Arunachal Pradesh, have decisively rejected the politics of defection and unseating elected governments through a concerted wellplanned and executed conspiracy... the BJP and its chief Amit Shah, who have been conspiring to bring down elected governments in the Northeast, need to take lessons in democratic values,” he said. He said Saturday’s developments indicate that people have faith that the Congress will provide a stable and development- oriented government in Arunachal.
“It is a lesson for BJP president Amit Shah and PM Narendra Modi, who sought to unseat and bring down elected governments by completely ignoring the mandate of people, subjugating democracy and ignoring the essential tenets of our Constitution,” he said.