Arunachal Assembly row: SC to hear Nabam Tuki government’s plea today

GUWAHATI|NEW DELHI: The see-saw political battle between the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party to control the wheels of power in Arunchal Pradesh on Wednesday entered a decisive phase with all eyes on Supreme Court on Thursday.

This after the political fortunes of Congress and the party-rebels backed by BJP swung dramatically between two Court directions during the day — first by a Guahati High Court order that boosted the calculations of Congress rebels and BJP and, within hours, by a Supreme Court observation that provided temporary relief to the Congress side.

The decks for the downfall of the Congress government appeared cleared when the Guahati High court earlier in the day vacated its earlier order, keeping the state Assembly in abeyance, thereby giving a forward-movement to the BJP bid to prop up a government headed by Congress rebel leader Kalikho Pul.

However, within hours, the Supreme Court urged the Arunachal Pradesh Governor to refrain from convening an Assembly session till April 18, something that will stave off any attempt to change the government in the state till SC dealt with all the issues raised against a recent attempt to dislodge the Congress government. The Supreme Court is slated to deal with the case in detail first thing on Thursday morning with political players in a state of heightened suspense.

Soon after the HC order, the Arunachal Pradesh BJP leadership has already announced its decision to extend support to Pul’s bid to prop up an anti-BJP government.