E-Paper
Two NCP MLAs join Congress, party expels one
Two MLA's from Nationalist Congress Party have defected to the ruling Congress in Arunachal Pradesh causing tension between the parties.
Both the NCP MLAs in the Arunachal Pradesh assembly have defected to the ruling Congress, raising its strength to 35, as the NCP expelled one of them and denied that the other had switched over.
The two, Nikh Kamin and Thangwang Wangham, had approached the Congress, expressing their desire to join it and applied to the speaker,Assembly Speaker Setong Sena told the media.
After going through all the formalities under the Tenth Schedule, their plea was approved with effect from April 7, Sena said.
With this, the 60-member house now has 35 MLAs of the Congress, nine of the BJP, two of the Arunachal Congress and 14 independents.
NCP state president A T Kabak told the media that the party expelled Kamin for "breach of party discipline and openly expressing desire to defect to the Congress".
He denied that the other NCP MLA had defected.
He said he had requested the speaker to treat Kamin as unattached member.
Arunachal Pradesh witnessed a change of guard on April 9 when Dorjee Khandu took over as chief minister, replacing Gegong Apang who ruled the state for 23 years.
