NAHARLAGUN, Dec 3: The bye-election to the Likabali seat is likely to be a three-cornered contest after the People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) has selected Gumke Riba as its official candidate.
“We have chosen Gumke Riba, a senior leader of Likabali area, as our official candidate for the Likabali seat,” said PPA President Kahfa Bengia.
“Riba has joined the PPA today and will be filing his nomination papers tomorrow,” Bengia said.
The BJP has fielded Kardo Nyicyor against Congress’ Modam Dini for the Likabali seat.
The PPA has not fielded any candidate for the Pakke-Kessang seat.
Gumke Riba, a veteran BJP leader, resigned from the party on Sunday after Gensi ZPM Kardo Nyicyor was chosen as the party’s official candidate for the Likabali seat.
In a letter to the state BJP president, Riba said that awarding the party ticket to a newcomer (Nyicyor), ‘who has made no contributions towards the party,’ has hurt him and his supporters.
Citing his contributions to the growth of the party in the constituency, for which the Likabali mandal was also awarded the ‘best performing mandal’ in Arunachal Pradesh last year, he lamented that his sincerity, loyalty and discipline went unrecognized by the BJP.
‘We have no more faith in you and your party, which is practising indiscipline and corruption even in issuing party ticket,’ the letter read.
On Saturday, the BJP had announced its candidates for the bye-elections to Pakke-Kessang and Likabali. Biyuram Wahge and Kardo Nyicyor were the chosen BJP candidates.
