Takam Pario likely to be next CM, PPA removes Pema Khandu
Itanagar, Dec. 30: People's Party of Arunachal (PPA) president Kafia Bengia on Friday said Takam Pario is most likely to be the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh.
"Pario is likely to be the CM. It will be decided today (Friday) in the evening when all the PPA legislators meet. We are just waiting for a few more legislators to come and then we will start the meeting," Bengia told IANS here.
Pario, who is the richest MLA here, is also the brother of former Congress MP Takam Sanjoy, who is another political heavyweight in the state.
The PPA in a sudden move on Thursday night removed incumbent Pema Khandu and six others for alleged anti-party activities.
Asked what were the charges against these party leaders, Bengia said: "Being members of PPA -- which itself is an ally of the BJP -- all these suspended legislators were trying to join the BJP.
"At the same time they are trying to take other MLAs and carry out mass defection."
"These MLAs have a business mindset; that is the reason they are turning the state politics into a laughing stock for the country," Bengia told IANS.
The PPA is a constituent of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led North East Democratic Alliance.
Khandu had taken over as the Chief Minister from Nabam Tuki in July. However, on September 16, he along with 42 other Congress MLAs defected to the PPA.
PTI Adds:
BJP to support 'only' Pema Khandu
Itanagar: The BJP in Arunachal Pradesh on Friday made it clear that it will "only" support Pema Khandu government in the state and "will never" support any other chief minister.
The party decision came in the backdrop of the unprecedented political development where Peoples' Party of Arunachal (PPA) temporarily suspended Chief Minister Pema Khandu, his deputy Chowna Mein and other five MLAs late last night for alleged anti-party activities.
"BJP, being a coalition partner of the PPA in the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) government in the state, was not discussed on the issue before announcing the decision which could have been sorted out," BJP legislature party leader Tamiyo Taga told a press conference here.
"The sudden decision of the PPA is not acceptable to us as they have never discussed with us. In the interest of development of the state and its people, BJP cannot be a party to change government in every six months," Taga said.
Taga, who is also the Textile and Handicraft Minister, further said that the party has decided to support Khandu in the floor of the assembly if the Governor issues directives for a floor test.
Claiming of a "visible split" among the PPA legislators, Taga said that he had seen 26 PPA MLAs with Khandu when he visited the chief minister's residence this morning.
Giving a genesis of the political development since last year which witnessed three chief ministers so far, Taga said, "Pema Khandu was acceptable to us and the people of the state and so our central leadership allowed us to join the government." Responding to allegations of PPA president Kahfa Bengia that Khandu was more inclined to BJP than PPA, Taga said that "all the PPA legislators were inclined towards BJP".
When asked whether Khandu along with his supporters would join the BJP to form the next government in the state, the senior party leader in a veiled indication stated that joining of PPA MLAs to BJP would be "considered" by the central leadership and "perhaps it is under process".
