BJP to join Pul government as rebel Congress MLAs join PPA

GUWAHATI: While 30 dissident Congress MLAs, including CM Kalikho Pul, merged with the Peoples Party of Arunachal ( PPA), BJP announced it will be part of the Pul government.

BJP is making a comeback in the state almost after 13 years. In 2003, Gegong Apang and his supporting MLAs merged with the BJP, making Arunachal Pradesh a BJP-ruled stated.

On February 25, Pul won the floor test in the state assembly.

Congress had then issued a threeline whip asking its members not to attend the session. Congress did not recognize Pul as the leader of Congress Legislature Party.

National executive member of BJP, Tapir Gao told ET, “As 30 members of congress have joined PPA on Thursday, there is no hurdle in BJP joining the government now as there is no Congress now. We were supporting the Pul government, however, now we will be part of the government.”

Arunachal will be the second state in the Northeast after Nagaland where BJP will be part of the government.

In the house of 60, where two members are suspended, Pul now has support of 30 Congress, two independent and 11 BJP MLAs.

In 2014 assembly election, PPA contested 16 seats and won five seats. All the five later joined the Congress.