PASIGHAT, 7 Aug: In a major blow to the BJP, six of the eight councillors of Pasighat Municipal Council have joined the Congress. They left the saffron party after BJP leadership refused to change the chief councillor. The councillors reportedly wanted the BJP high command to remove the chief councilor Okiam Moyong Borang.
Senior Congress member Kon Jirjo Jotham informed this daily that the six councillors joined the Congress after the BJP failed to address their genuine concerns. “They have joined Congress with full faith in the leadership of APCC president Nabam Tuki and working president Bosiram Siram,” he said.
Earlier, East Siang district BJP president Aku Borang had expelled three Pasighat Municipal Council councillors from the party for six years for allegedly engaging in anti-party activities and breaching party discipline. The expelled councillors are Yalop Nyigang Yomso (Ward-1), Rebika Panyang Megu (Ward-4) and Ponung Radeng Saring (Ward-5).
“The concerned BJP councillors have breached party discipline by moving a No Confidence Motion against the incumbent Chief Councilor of the same party despite instructions from the party not to do so. Since their actions are without the party’s approval and consent, it is treated as a gross violation of party discipline,” the district BJP president said in his expulsion order.
The councilors who joined the INC are Rebeka Panyang Megu, Yalop Nyigang Yomso, Ponung Radeng Saring, Mumcy Dupak Lollen, Okeng Tayeng and Kaling Doruk.
