With Apang’s return to the Congress, the forthcoming Assembly election in the State has virtually turned into a one-horse race. North East News Agency

AFTER weighing different options Arunachal strongman Gegong Apang finally opted for the safest bet. He has returned to the Congress after spending couple of years with a regional formation and couple of months with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). With Apang’s return to the Congress, the forthcoming Assembly election in the State in October has virtually turned into a one-horse race. Even before the poll process for the 60-member  State Assembly began, the Congress is way ahead of its opponents including the BJP. Arunachal Pradesh has always been a Congress bastion. The strength of the party in this strategically important North-Eastern State can be judged from the fact that in the last Assembly elections in 1999, the party won 53 seats out of 60. The lone opposition member was Gegong Apang, who was then the president of the Arunachal Congress. However, it’s a different story that the Congress could not rule the State for five years notwithstanding the huge majority in the house and BJP made a backdoor entry to power in the State. 

The five-year term of the Arunachal Assembly will expire on October 12 this year, but the House was dissolved prematurely by state Governor V C Pandey on July 6, immediately after the mandatory downsizing exercise. Buoyed by the recent entry of state Chief Minister Gegong Apang into its fold with his followers, the Congress is in an upbeat mood as the way seems clear for its return to power with absolute majority. Barring a few, most of the sitting ministers and MLAs of the dissolved assembly will contest the ensuing polls on Congress tickets. A rejuvenated Congress now claims that Gegong Apang and Arunachal Pradesh Congress president Mukut Mithi will work cohesively to ensure the party’s victory in the elections, who till the other day were  bitter rivals. The party even dismissed the claim of state BJP unit that the ensuing election would be fought between the ‘’people’s power of BJP’’ and ‘’money power of Congress’’. The Congress, expressing confidence, said that it had nothing to do with money. The election would be fought ideologically based on Congress principles, which would be made public in its manifesto, the party announced.

The BJP, which received a major setback after the defection of Mr. Apang is hoping against hope. The party is now eyeing the Congress dissidents to put up a fight. According to State BJP President Taba Hare the party is waiting for the Congress to release their full list of candidates so that all the disgruntled Congressmen with ‘winning prospect’ can be accommodated in the party. The State unit president had claimed that a sizable number of Congress leaders were already in touch with the BJP.
 
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