Major Jolt For Nitish Kumar In Arunachal As Six JDU MLAs Join BJP; Saffron Party Has 48 MLAs In 60-Member House

Following Six MLAs changing ships, BJP now has 48 MLAs in the 60-member House, while Nitish Kumar led JD(U) is left with only one.

Image: PTI

Nitish Kumar led Janata Dal - United (JDU) suffered a major jolt in Arunachal Pradesh as six of its seven MLAs joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a day ahead of the announcement of the panchayat and municipal poll results. According to the bulletin issued by the state legislative assembly, 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. Kardo Nyigyor from Likabali constituency, the lone MLA of the People's Party of Arunachal(PPA) also shifted ships to the saffron party. It is pertinent to mention here that JDU a month ago had issued show-cause notices to Siongju, Kharma and Taku for "anti-party" activities and suspended them. Even the PPA MLA Kardo Nyigyor was also suspended earlier this month.

Following the switchover, the BJP now has 48 MLAs in the 60-member House, while the JD(U) is left with only one. On the other hand, Congress and National People's Party (NPP) have four members each. Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, won a majority of 125 in the 243-seat assembly. Nitish Kumar's JD(U) managed to win only 43 seats, and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) four each, compared to the BJP which managed to secure a victory on 74 seats in the 243-member Bihar Assembly. Janata Dal-United chief Nitish Kumar, who had faced anti-incumbency after three terms, formally took oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar in November.