Arunachal Pradesh’s BJP govt gets a boost as 7 opposition MLAs join political ally
A decision on the seven MLAs joining the Pema Khandu government will be taken after a meeting between Khandu, NPP chief Conrad Sangma and NEDA coordinator Himanta Biswa Sarma soon.
The Pema Khandu-led BJP government in Arunachal Pradesh got a boost on Monday with seven MLAs leaving the opposition People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) to join a political ally.
New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi gestures while addressing the media on Rafale deal issue, in New Delhi, Saturday, Sep 22, 2018. (PTI Photo/Manvender Vashist (PTI9_22_2018_000099B) (PTI)
The National People’s Party (NPP) described the entry of the seven PPA legislators into its fold as a positive development for the political organisation. “We have already submitted their names to the assembly secretariat,” state unit chief Gicho Kabak informed HT.
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With this, the number of PPA legislators in the 60-member assembly has fallen from nine to two while the NPP – with no members until now – has become an important part of the political alliance. “A decision on the new NPP MLAs joining the Pema Khandu government will be taken after a meeting between Khandu, NPP chief Conrad Sangma and North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) coordinator Himanta Biswa Sarma soon,” said Kabak.
The Arunachal Pradesh assembly now has 48 MLAs from the BJP, seven from the NPP, two from PPA, one from the Congress and two Independents.
The NPP is part of NEDA, the BJP-led anti-Congress group in the northeast. Besides leading the coalition government in Meghalaya, it is a part of the ruling alliances in Manipur and Nagaland respectively.
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