Dissent within Congress behind turmoil in Arunachal: Rijiju

NEW DELHI: Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday blamed internal dissent in Congress for the political turmoil in Arunachal Pradesh, where chief minister Pema Khandu

NEW DELHI: Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday blamed internal dissent in Congress for the political turmoil in Arunachal Pradesh, where chief minister Pema Khandu and 42 MLAs have joined regional outfit PPA.

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Rijiju, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, said the BJP has no role to play in the latest political development in the state and the Congress MLAs were “angry with their own leadership”. It is the second time this year that the Congress has been hit by rebellion.

“Congress MLAs including the chief minister in Arunachal are angry with their own central

leadership. They have to wait in Delhi for four-five days to meet their own leaders. This has eventually led to MLAs joining a regional party. There is no more a Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh,” the minister of state for home told reporters here. Stating that BJP had no role to play in Congress’ internal unrest, Rijiju said “if the MLAs don’t want to stay with Congress, what can

the others do”. “The Supreme Court also reinstated the Congress government but ultimately the MLAs’ decision is final. Congress tried to blame BJP unnecessarily,” he said.

In a shocker for Congress, all but one of its MLAs, including the chief minister, on Friday joined the PPA and the party faces the prospect of losing its government. Sources said Khandu, who two months ago became CM in a development that restored the Congress government, along with 42 Congress MLAs joined the PPA and virtually converted it into a PPA government.