Our guardian Sonia's intervention led to Cong MLAs' ghar wapsi: Nabam Tuki

Ex-CM Nabam Tuki, Congress's proverbial sacrificial lamb, tells ToI that he stepped down for the sake of Congress and Arunachal Pradesh.

On getting the Congress flock back together
Tuki: From the very beginning, I have been insisting that all 45 Congress MLAs are united. No one was willing to believe me. Congress is always strong.
On his decision to step down as CMT
Tuki: I decided to step down as chief minister in the in terests of Arunachal Pradesh and the Congress party .I want to pave the way for a younger leadership.
On the Congress rebellion that unseated him in February
Tuki: This is not a rebellion.I would describe it as a difference of opinion among members of a big family .

On the rebels' opposition to his leadership
Tuki: I may have committed mistakes in the past so I stepped down.

On the rebels' 'ghar wapsi'
Tuki: The family (Congress) had problems and Sonia Gandhi being our guardian intervened when we needed her the most. It was her di rect intervention that made Congress stronger here.

On BJP's plans of a 'Congress-mukt' northeast
Tuki: BJP leaders tried not just to destroy Congress but the state as well. Congressmukt is just a slogan which can be given by anyone on the street. How can BJP wipe out Congress or for that matter any party? In a democracy , the opposition plays as important a role as the ruling party. Does BJP want to install dictatorship by wiping out all parties opposed to its ideology?

On Pema Khandu
Tuki: The state is now under a young, dynamic leader.It will become stronger and march ahead on the path of development.