Staff Reporter
LIKABALI, Mar 26: Members of the BJP’s mandal and sub-mandal units of Gensi, Sibe and Kangku circles under Likabali assembly constituency in Lower Siang district have tendered mass resignation following the denial of party ticket to sitting MLA Kardo Nyigyor on Monday.
Nyigyor was the BJP candidate for the bye-poll held on 21 December, 2017, and had won by 305 votes, defeating his nearest rival, Gumke Riba, of the People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA).
The Likabali seat had fallen vacant following the demise of the then health & family welfare minister Jomde Kena on 4 September of the same year.
Ironically, Nyigyor is now contesting on a PPA ticket.
Speaking to this daily, the BJP’s Likabali mandal president, Chinya Taju, said the mass resignation was a result of the BJP high command’s “step-motherly treatment” and denial of party ticket to Nyigyor.
“Nyigyor has brought a lot of development to the area in a span of merely a year. The reports we sent to the high command were devalued. Our mandal has worked hard for the party, but the high command neglected the sentiments of the mandal team,” he said.
He also claimed that BJP candidate Tapak Lendo “is not a native of Likabali.”
“The decision to field Lendo shows that the BJP high command does not consider the locals of Likabali capable of leading and developing their own constituency,” he said, adding: “The public will decide who is capable, and not outsiders.”
On whether the team would now merge with the PPA, he said they are yet to officially join the PPA as they are preoccupied with the campaigning.
Besides Nyigyor, there are four other contenders for the Likabali assembly constituency. They are Mimar Nyodu (INC), Tapak Lendo (BJP), Rima Taipodia (JD-S) and Iken Tao (NPP).
