If Congress MLAs want to defect, what can we do: Kiren Rijiju

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday said it had no role in the dramatic political developments in Arunachal Pradesh where Chief Minister Pema Khandu and 42 Congress MLAs defected to the Peoples Party of Arunachal (PPA), an ally of the BJP.

"If elected MLAs don't want to stay with Congress, what can the others do. The Supreme Court reinstated the Congress government but ultimately the MLAs' decision is final. The Congress had tried to blame BJP unnecessarily," said Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister and MP from Arunachal West parliamentary constituency.

He suggested that as a local leader from the state he understands the agony of Congress state leaders, including incumbent Chief Minister Khandu, as the central leadership of Congress party continues to adopt "lukewarm response" to leaders from the north east.

"Congress MLAs, including the Chief Minister of Arunachal, are angry with their own central leadership. They have to wait in Delhi for 4-5 days to meet their central leaders. This has eventually led to MLAs joining a regional party," he said.

The Congress had a strength of 44 in the house of 60. Now former Chief Minister Nabam Tuki remains as the only Congress MLA.

Tuki was replaced in July when the Congress made Khandu the Chief Minister.