CM V Narayanasamy blames BJP for defection of MLAs in Arunachal

PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy today alleged that the BJP was behind the "wholesale defection" of 43 MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh, resulting in Congress losing its government in that state.

"The BJP had caused such crisis earlier in Arunachal Pradesh and has now fomented the turbulence again in the state. This is the BJP's usual functioning to cause disturbances for Congress-headed governments in states," he told reporters here.

Congress had yesterday lost its government in Arunachal Pradesh to a BJP-led front when 43 of its MLAs led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu defected and merged with People's Party of Arunachal, just two months after regaining power.

PPA had five MLAs who had joined Congress in 2014. Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, convener of North East Development Alliance, claimed that with PPA entering the NEDA, in which the 11-member BJP has considerable influence, the Khandu government is for all purposes an NDA government.

Congress in Delhi had dubbed the new government in Arunachal as an "illegitimate child of BJP" and a diabolical design to decimate democracy.