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Arunachal Pradesh Political Turmoil
Indrajit Tingwa
The current phase of political turmoil in the tribal and frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh have witnessed some unprecedented events in the history of the state. Very embarrassingly, women activists affiliated to a certain political organisation even went to the extent of holding a ‘strip protest’ in front of the Raj Bhawan at the capital Itanagar on 17th December, 2015. The protest in which the women went semi topless, were protesting against the Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa alleging him of favouring the dissidents and the opposition.
The political turmoil in the state stemmed from the ouster of Kalikho Pul, five time legislator from Anjaw from the Council of Ministers in April 2015. Soon after his dropping from the cabinet, Pul had lambasted Chief Minister Nabam Tuki of financial mismanagement and taking the state towards anarchy. Pul went about spilling the beans on the poor financial health of the state under Tuki’s leadership in the press supported by figures and probably facts as the leadership at the helm of affairs never could satisfactorily clear the cloud. Pul was also terminated from the Congress party though he managed to get a stay on the same from the courts.Soon some more legislators from the total 47 Congress members joined Pul in demanding change of leadership. Subsequently, five ministers and four parliamentary secretaries were dropped giving the first impression that the house was really not in order though the official version was something different. Pema Khandu, son of former chief minister Late Dorjee Khandu and who was holding the post of Minister for Tourism and Urban Development resigned and in a press statement stated regarding ineffective governance resulting from the negative and unsatisfactory political leadership. He also went on to say that the present leadership has failed miserably in its mandate to provide optimal governance and therefore has lost its legitimacy to continue to lead. Many parliamentary secretaries and chairmen of various government agencies and boards also gave in their papers clearly defining the divide between the Tuki and Pul camps. In the house of 60 , Congress has 47 while opposition BJP has 11 and 2 Independent members. In the ongoing crisis within the ruling Congress, Tuki has 26 while Pul has 21 members on their respective sides.
Earlier, 16 Congress MLAs were reportedly made to sign irrevocable and undated resignation letters at the official residence of the Chief Minister Nabam Tuki. But only Gabriel D.Wangsu and Wanglam Sawin were actually axed when their seats were notified vacant on 1st October, 2016. However, both the legislators managed to get a stay on their disqualification from the house from the High Court.
Former Deputy Chief Minister Kameng Dolo who represents 12 Pakke- Kesang assembly constituency, who was the Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister and also Chairman of State Council for Information Technology and e-Governance also resigned from the posts on 5 November, 2016.
The Congress Legislature Party meeting was convened twice but both times the dissident members boycotted. In one of these meetings, V.Narayanasamy, AICC General Secretary and state in-charge also attended but was unable to break the ice. The other new aspect of the dissident activities this time around was that each of the dissident Congress MLAs came out in the open and made their grievances and intentions known unlike in the previous instances. Even the moves played out by both the factions were interesting as it was on the lines of ‘tit for tat’.
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