The Janata Dal United (JDU) has received a major blow in Arunachal Pradesh as it lost six out of its seven MLAs to the ruling BJP. This announcement was made in a bulletin by the State Legislative Assembly. The lone MLA from the People's Party of Arunachal (PPA), Kardo Nyigyor from Likabali constituency, has also joined the saffron party.
The eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh went to the Panchayat and municipal polls on Tuesday, with an estimated voter turnout of 53%. Tuesday's voting was said to be 'cosmetic' as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has already won more than 63% of a total of 8,705 panchayat and municipal seats unopposed. The development comes a day ahead of the announcement of these poll results.
Altogether 6,500 candidates in 99 Zilla Parishad seats and 6,401 gram panchayats have already won without any contest. Of the 20 seats of IMC, five candidates from the ruling BJP were elected unopposed.
The JD(U) MLAs who switched sides are Talem Taboh from Rumgong Assembly Constituency, Hayeng Mangfi (Chayang Tajo), Jikke Tako (Tali), Dorjee Wangdi Kharma (Kalaktang), Dongru Siongju (Bomdila) and Kanggong Taku from Mariyang-Geku constituency, the bulletin said.
On November 26, the JD(U) had issued show-cause notices to Siongju, Kharma and Taku for 'anti-party' activities and suspended them.
The JD(U), led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, won seven of the 15 seats it contested in the 2019 assembly elections, and emerged as the second largest party after the BJP, which had bagged 41 seats.
Following the switchover, the BJP now has 48 MLAs in the 60-member House, while the JD(U) is left with only one. Congress and the National People's Party (NPP) have four members each.