Deserter duo never took part in any party activity: Congress
[ Bengia Ajum ]
ITANAGAR, 25 Feb: Senior Congress leaders Ninong Ering and Wanglin Lowangdong joined the BJP on Sunday, along with NPP MLAs Gokar Basar and Mutchu Mithi.
For months, there was speculation about them joining the BJP. Finally, putting all speculation to rest, the four MLAs joined the BJP in the presence of Chief Minister Pema Khandu and state BJP president Biyuram Wahge.
NPP MLA Mutchu Mithi said that, even though he took a long route, he is happy to join the BJP finally. “The people of my constituency and the Mishmi belt in general had always been tilted towards the ideology of indigenous culture and traditions.
“The Sangh has been doing yeoman service in our area. Even though I was in Congress and NPP, I was always inclined towards BJP because of the atmosphere that I grew up in,” said Mithi.
He credited Khandu for his decision to join the BJP. “My main reason for joining is CM and his development-oriented policies. He never treated us differently, though I was from a different party. He always supported us and gave us enough funds for the development of my constituency.
“When the whole wind is blowing towards him and his party, who am I to resist it?” Mithi added.
He also claimed that his supporters wanted him to join the BJP.
Mithi expressed gratitude to the NPP “for the opportunity,” and said that he “learned a lot while being in the party.”
Senior Congress leader and Pasighat West MLA Ninong Ering claimed that he had tried to join the saffron party in 2019 also. “I have been in touch with the BJP for some time. I tried to join in 2019, but due to some reasons, it did not work out. Now I will work for the party in whatever capacity they think I can fit in,” Ering told the media.
He cited his close association with Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein as the reason for joining the BJP. “A few years ago, I was on the verge of retiring from politics when DCM Mein revived my political career. I thought we should be in the same party and work together,” added Ering.
Ering was the union minister of state for minority affairs from 2012 to 2014 in the UPA government. He became a member of the legislative assembly for the first time in 1990 from the Pasighat East assembly constituency, winning as an independent candidate. In 1999, for the first time, he won an election on a Congress ticket.
His late father, Daying Ering, was also one of the tallest leaders of the Congress and was a member of the Lok Sabha.
Meanwhile, the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has strongly condemned Ering and Lowangdong for deserting the party and joining the BJP “at this crucial hour, when the Congress needs their leadership at the forefront in the state.”
In a statement, the APCC said that, “despite Congress giving enough opportunities and recognition, Ering has deserted the party.”
“He has a political legacy of the great leader late Daying Ering, who was a Congress stalwart. He was the union minister of state under UPA-II. He has failed to realise what Congress has done for his political elevations and given special recognition to late Daying Ering, based on his contributions to the state through the Congress regime,” the APCC added.
On Lowangdong, the Congress said: “He rebelled against Congress and served as PPA MLA and then merged to BJP. He then rejoined Congress and fought his election from the INC ticket in 2019 and became INC MLA again. But now he has rejoined the saffron party again, which is so unfortunate and talks about his directionless and visionless leadership, which is why he could not play an impressive and effective leadership role for the people of TCL region.”
The Congress alleged also that the duo never took part in any activity of the party. It said that “aayaram and gayaram politics raises serious questions over the future of the state.”
“The biggest question today is, what are they trying to prove or show to the young generations of Arunachal Pradesh who are the future treasures of the state? What they finally leave behind may be their aayaram and gayaram politics for self-survival, without having any vision and mission for their respective voters and communities.”
The voters should reject such “seasonal and migratory political leaders” by voting against them, it said.
“Act now to save the future of the state, especially the poor and needy tribal voters,” the party added.
It said also that the Congress would not be affected at all by their desertion “as they were non-performing and ineffective MLAs.”
