The Supreme Court reinstated Congress' Nabam Tuki as Arunachal Pradesh chief minister yesterday
Highlights
- Nabam Tuki was reinstated as Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister yesterday
- Arunachal Pradesh was placed under President's Rule in January
- Supreme Court called government's dismissal 'illegal, unconstitutional'
The Arunchal Pradesh governor has asked Chief Minister Nabam Tuki of the Congress, reinstated by a Supreme Court order yesterday, to prove he has a majority in the state assembly in a Trust Vote on Saturday, July 16, sources said on Thursday.
As the action shifts to Arunachal capital Itanagar, the Modi government at the Centre has sought to distance itself from the process, making clear that its role is confined only to advising the Governor to "follow the rule book," sources said. Tripura Governor Tathagat Roy holds additional charge of Arunachal with its Governor JP Rajkhowa in hospital.
The BJP too has signaled that it is not a main player in the Arunachal arena and will not add to friction, but the party has swiftly moved to keep its flock together. That includes 43 lawmakers - 30 Congress rebels led by their leader Kalikho Pul, two Independents and 11 from the BJP.
Party managers are in Itanagar discussing, sources said, whether the rebel lawmakers should remain in the state till Mr Tuki's Trust Vote or be flown out to ensure none of them drifts back to the Congress, drawn by the Tuki government's reinstatement by the court.
Kalikho Pul had rebelled against Nabam Tuki's leadership last year and had walked out of the Congress with 20 lawmakers. Backed by the BJP, he staked claim to form government and became chief minister in February this year. Days later, he merged his group with regional party People's Party of Arunachal.
The BJP is pegging its Arunachal gameplan on the premise that the Congress is now in a minority. In the Arunachal Pradesh assembly of 60 seats, the People's Party has 30 lawmakers, the BJP has 11 supported by 2 independents and the Congress 15. Two seats are vacant. The Supreme Court order may have turned the clock back to December 15 last, but the numbers are not the same, the BJP argues.
Mr Pul, unseated by the court order, said, "The government is run by numbers. The court doesn't run the government, numbers do. My government will remain."
But Mr Tuki's math includes the rebels in his party. "I will talk to all the 47 Congress MLAs. We will call a meeting," he said.