No end to game of number in Arunachal: Pema Khandu expelled, ‘rich’ Pario is CM face

GUWAHATI: Arunachal Pradesh is staring at another crisis as ruling People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) has suspended Chief Minister Pema Khandu and six others for working against the interest of the party and toeing the BJP line. PPA has projected Takam Pario, the richest MLA in the state with assets of Rs187 crore, as the chief minister.

Split in PPA is imminent as the party leadership has claimed that Pario is being elected as the leader of legislature party, but Khandu has refused to step down.

BJP, which has 12 MLAs, has stated it will support Khandu as the chief minister and the present crisis is an internal matter of PPA.

Government spokesperson Bamang Felix claims that 35 out of the 43 PPA MLAs have reposed their faith in Khandu. “We have support of 49 MLAs, including 35 from PPA, 12 BJP, one associate BJP member and one independent.

In a parallel move, some MLAs have even started talks with Congress. Itanagar bench of Gauhati High Court will hear petition challenging the switch over of 43 Congress MLAs to PPA in January. In last one year, Arunachal has seen as many as three chief ministers. In September, in a dramatic turnaround, Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh which was reinstated in July 2016 following the Supreme Court verdict proved short lived as 43 out 44 congress MLAs joined PPA.

PPA leadership is miffed with Khandu for not following the plans and programme of regional party and pursuing the agenda of BJP. PPA president Kahfa Bengia said that former deputy chief minister Kameng Dolo, present Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Tanga Byaling and Pario were the front-runners for the top post, but the decision was through consensus to name Pario as CM.

PPA Chairman Kameng Ringu told ET: “Khandu is busy hobnobbing with BJP. Khandu even had plans to switch over to BJP. PPA’s plan and programme were not followed by the Khandu.” The party has sent a letter to the Speaker informing him about the suspension.

Ringu said: “Despite being is member of NDA-floated anti-Congress platform, Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA), PPA is not given much importance.”