This Article is From Dec 21, 2015

In Arunachal Pradesh's Political Crisis, A Familiar Game Of Musical Chairs

From several toppled governments to frequent change of political loyalties by the leaders, the state has seen it all.

Itanagar: The political crisis in Arunachal Pradesh is now struck in the judiciary. On Monday, the Gauhati High Court ordered the assembly speaker Nabam Rebia "not to exercise any of his of his powers in capacity of the speaker of the House till January 4 next year".

The ruling came after a review petition filed by Deputy Speaker TN Thongdok challenging the December 17 order of keeping all the decisions of the governor and deputy speaker in abeyance till the next day of hearing on February 1.

A political game of musical chairs has become the part of system of leaders in Arunachal and common people are the ones suffering, political observers say.

The Arunachal legislative assembly has been witness to several political upheavals that have often resulted in political crisis, even toppling governments.

Since attaining statehood in 1975, the frontier state has seen eight chief ministers and every one of them have faced resistance either losing their seat or triggering an upheaval.

From the first chief minister, PK Thungon, who was recently convicted in a graft case to the third chief minister Gegong Apang, who was arrested for corruption - politics in Arunachal has always been mired in graft and political disloyalty.

In 2003, Gegong Apang revolted against chief minister Mukut Mithi of the Congress and joined the BJP with many legislators to form a government. A few years later he re-joined the Congress with his loyalists.

The present chief minister Nabam Tuki, who is facing an uprising himself, was instrumental in toppling the Garbom Gamlin government in 2011. Even Kiren Rijiju has been in BJP, gone to Congress and returned to the BJP as a Union Minister.

For decades, this has been happening in the name of offering better governance to the people of Arunachal. From several toppled governments to frequent change of political loyalties by the leaders, the state has seen it all.
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