New Delhi, Sep 1 : Opposition in the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly is non existent now with the lone BJP member joining the ruling Congress.
Amid the BJP crying foul over the incident, Congress said the trend is not healthy for democracy, but defended recruiting the saffron party legislator into its fold.
General Secretary of the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee, T C Tok argued that if anyone wants to join the Congress on his or her own free will, the party cannot say no. “It is obvious that we like to make our party strong”.
The incident has proved that no one can thwart the party from being in power in the hill state, he said.
“Absence of any opposition MLA in an assembly is definitely not healthy for democracy, but we can do nothing in this regard,” Tok told PTI over phone from Itanagar.
Congress has ruled Arunachal Pradesh, since it attained statehood in 1987 except for a brief period during which Gegong Apang, a Congressman who revolted and formed the Arunachal Congress, switched loyalty to the BJP during his stint as chief minister in 2003.
The government then was formed by the Arunachal Congress-led coalition United Democratic Front. The front members joined the BJP while still in power.
In the 2004 Assembly elections, BJP won only nine seats and formed the opposition. Incidentally, Apang rejoined the Congress before the elections.
In June last year, eight of the saffron party members joined the Dorjee Khandu-led Congress government.
A few weeks ago, the lone BJP MLA, R T Khunjuju, gave his allegiance to the ruling Congress, leaving the 60-member House without an opposition member.
Amid the BJP crying foul over the incident, Congress said the trend is not healthy for democracy, but defended recruiting the saffron party legislator into its fold.
General Secretary of the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee, T C Tok argued that if anyone wants to join the Congress on his or her own free will, the party cannot say no. “It is obvious that we like to make our party strong”.
The incident has proved that no one can thwart the party from being in power in the hill state, he said.
“Absence of any opposition MLA in an assembly is definitely not healthy for democracy, but we can do nothing in this regard,” Tok told PTI over phone from Itanagar.
Congress has ruled Arunachal Pradesh, since it attained statehood in 1987 except for a brief period during which Gegong Apang, a Congressman who revolted and formed the Arunachal Congress, switched loyalty to the BJP during his stint as chief minister in 2003.
The government then was formed by the Arunachal Congress-led coalition United Democratic Front. The front members joined the BJP while still in power.
In the 2004 Assembly elections, BJP won only nine seats and formed the opposition. Incidentally, Apang rejoined the Congress before the elections.
In June last year, eight of the saffron party members joined the Dorjee Khandu-led Congress government.
A few weeks ago, the lone BJP MLA, R T Khunjuju, gave his allegiance to the ruling Congress, leaving the 60-member House without an opposition member.
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