Fresh setback to Nitish Kumar: Six JD-U MLAs defect to BJP in Arunachal Pradesh

Nitish Kumar today suffered another setback as six of his seven MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh defected to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Among the leaders who left JDU to join BJP are Talem Taboh from Rumgong Constituency, Hayeng Mangfi from Chayang Tajo, Jikke Tako from Tali, Dorjee Wangdi Kharma froom Kalaktang, Dongru Siongju from Bomdila and Kanggong Taku from Mariyang-Geku.

PTI reports that the JD-U had last month suspended Siongju, Kharma and Taku after issuing show-cause notices for “anti-party” activities. The six JD(U) MLAs had earlier elected Talem Taboh as the new Legislature Party leader allegedly without the knowledge of senior party members, the report said.

The JD-U was the second largest party after the BJP in Arunachal Pradesh. In 2019, Nitish Kumar’s party contested 15 seats and emerged victorious on 7. The BJP was the single largest party with 41 seats while the Congress under the leadership of Nabam Tuki could win just 4 seats. Now with the fresh defection, the JDU has been reduced to just 1 MLA in the 60-member House.

This comes barely a month after Nitish Kumar was reduced to his historical low in recently held assembly elections in Bihar. Many believe that it was the BJP which by design allowed Chirag to contest assembly polls against JD-U. Results showed that by Chirag’s entry, the votes at some places split between LJP and JDU, resulting in a lesser number of seats to Nitish Kumar. JDU got just 43 seats, 28 less than what it had got in 2015.

Apart from this, the lone MLA from the People’s Party of Arunachal, Kardo Nyigyor, has also joined the BJP. Now, the saffron party has 48 MLAs in the House.