In a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Congress on Tuesday alleged that there was no legal merger of its State unit in Arunachal Pradesh with the People’s Party of Arunachal that led to a change of government in that State.
The letter points out that one, there was no meeting between the two parties preceding the formation of the PPA government – replacing the earlier Congress government — in the State; and two, that since the PPA had zero strength in the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly, there was no question of a merger.
The Congress filed this complaint with the ECI a little over a month after 43 of the 44 Congress MLAs, including Chief Minister Pema Khandu, defected on September 16 to the PPA, an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s North East Democratic Alliance.
At that time, the PPA did not have a single MLA in the 60-strong Assembly. The only Congress MLA who did not join the PPA was former Chief Minister Nabam Tuki.
Complaint filed with ECNow four days after it was reported that the BJP is to join the Arunachal Pradesh government, the Congress has made a complaint to the EC. If the BJP indeed joins the government, Arunachal Pradesh will become the 14th State where the party is in power and the sixth State where it will share power with regional parties.
Referring to the PPA’s claim that it had passed a resolution on September 16 that “leaders, office bearers and workers of Arunachal Pradesh Congress party along with members of the Legislature party in the 6th Arunachal Pradesh legislative assembly have merged with the PPA”, the complaint says that no such meeting took place.
“..it is submitted that no such meeting was held by Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee and the decision as claimed by PPA is baseless and false. There is no decision taken by the Indian National Congress or by its state unit… for merger with PPA… The alleged decision of merger is not sustainable in the eyes of law and even contrary to Para 16 of Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order 1968.”
