ITANAGAR, Sep 21: PPA legislators Takam Pario and Markio Tada have rejoined the Congress party.
In a bulletin, the legislative assembly informed that the duo rejoined the Congress on Wednesday. Speaker T Norbu Thongdok accepted the switchover under Rule 4 of the Members of Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 1987, and issued a notification regarding it on Thursday.
Both Pario and Tado were elected as Congress legislators in the 2014 assembly elections. However, they later joined the PPA and were part of the Pema Khandu-led NEDA government.
Pario, who was a cabinet minister, started a rebellion against the chief minister and almost toppled the government. However, Pema managed to quell the crisis and joined the BJP along with his supporter MLAs to form the saffron government in the state.
With the joining of Pario and Tado in the Congress, the PPA is left with no representative in the state assembly.
Earlier, seven PPA MLAs had deserted the party and joined the regional outfit NPP in July this year. This allowed the NPP, a constituent of BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), to have members in the assembly for the first time.
The ruling BJP now has 48 MLAs in the 60-member house.
There are also two independent MLAs. They are associate members of the ruling BJP government. (With PTI input)
