Revision as of 23:21, 2 April 2018

2016

1979: PPA

Aaya Cong, Gaya Cong: Party loses govt in Arunachal again Sep 17 2016 : The Times of India

PPA’s previous stints in government

The Arunachal political crisis [of Sept 2016] has also highlighted the curious case of PPA, a party much favoured by defectors in the state. With [Sept 2016] developments, PPA formed the government for the third time after 1979 when Tomo Riba was CM. Riba, who took oath on September 18, 1979, ruled the state for 46 days before being deposed on November 3 the same year. It also ruled the state for a brief period from March 3 to July 13 [2016] under Pul.

2011-2016: Chief Ministers

Arunachal political crisis: A timeline | December 30, 2016 | PTI

The State saw three CMs:

Nabam Tuki: 1 November 2011 to 26 January 2016

Kalikho Pul: 19 February 2016 to 13 July 2016

Nabam Tuki: 13 July 2016 to 17 July 2016

Pema Khandu: From 17 July 2016 onwards

Nov 2011- Dec 2016

Arunachal political crisis: A timeline | December 30, 2016 | PTI

Arunachal Pradesh has undergone major political unrest since April 2015 when Congress expelled Kalikho Pul from the post of action Chief Minister.

Here is a timeline of the key events:

2011

Nov 1, 2011: Congress leader Nabam Tuki takes charge as CM of Arunachal Pradesh . His brother Nabam Rebia takes charge as the Speaker.

2014

Arunachal Pradesh: Political developments, 2014- Sept 2016

Arunachal Pradesh: Political developments, 2014- Sept 2016

Party position in the Arunachal legislative assembly, 2014-Sept 2016
The Times of India

Dec 2014: Tuki drops state Health and Family welfare minister Kalikho Pul during the Cabinet reshuffle.

2015

Apr, 2015: Pul alleges financial mismanagement within the government. Congress expels him alleging anti-party activity.

June 1: Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa takes charge as Governor.

Oct 21: Fifth session of Assembly concludes.

Nov 3: Governor orders summoning of sixth session of Assembly, to meet on January 14, 2016.

In the same month, Congress MLAs demand resolution for removing Deputy Speaker, while BJP MLAs demand resolution to remove Speaker.

Dec 9: Governor orders advancing the Assembly session from Jan 14, 2016, to Dec 16, 2015.

Dec 15: Speaker Nabam Rebia issues notice disqualifying 14 of the 21 rebel Congress MLAs.

Dec 15: Deputy Speaker quashes disqualification of 14 of the 21 MLAs.

Dec 16: Deputy Speaker says the Speaker’s decision that sixth session would not commence on Dec 16 was illegal.

Dec 16: Tuki government locks the Assembly. Corresponding assembly meeting held in another building, attended by 33 MLAs. The resolution for removal of Speaker Rebia is passed and a new speaker is appointed.

Dec 17: Rebels hold assembly in hotel after community hall is razed, vote against Tuki; elect Pul as CM. Rebia moves Gauhati HC to keep assembly and related developments in abeyance. Read editorial

2016

Jan 5, 2016: HC stays disqualification of 14 Cong MLAs.

Jan 6: SC agrees to hear plea of Arunachal Speaker, removed by rebel MLAs.

Jan 13: SC orders not to hold any proceedings in the Assembly till Jan 18.

Jan 14: SC refers Arunachal issue to Constitution Bench.

Jan 15: SC starts examining constitutional scope of discretionary powers of the Governor.

Jan 18: Congress tells SC that the Governor could not have acted on a resolution by opposition BJP MLAs and two Independents to advance the Assembly session.

Jan 25: Congress moves SC on recommendation for President’s rule in Arunachal.

Jan 26: Union Cabinet recommends President’s rule in the State.

Jan 27: President’s rule in Arunachal Pradesh comes under SC scrutiny. SC seeks the Governor’s report on recommending central rule in the state, saying “it is too serious a matter“.

Jan 28: Nabam Tuki files fresh plea in SC against President's rule in Arunachal.

Jan 29: Centre files affidavit in SC justifying imposition of Prez rule in Arunachal Pradesh, says complete breakdown in State, Governor in danger.

Feb 1: SC recalls notice to Governor, says they are immune.

Feb 2: SC resumes hearing on pleas for examining Governor’s powers.

Feb 4: SC takes strong note of a submission that all decisions of Governor are not open to judicial review.

Feb 5: SC questions Governor’s order to advance Arunachal Assembly session to December last year from this January.

Feb 9: SC rejects plea of 2 rebel Congress MLAs against a Gauhati High Court decision upholding the action of the then Speaker accepting their resignations.

Feb 10: Governor Rajkhowa defends his actions in SC saying that the CM and the Speaker were “hand-in-glove” and trying to remain in power despite losing majority.

Feb 11: Governor can’t take away Speaker’s powers, says SC.

Feb 16: SC refuses to pass an interim order on Congress plea to restrain Governor from swearing-in new CM.

Feb 18: SC satisfied with Gauhati HC’s order staying disqualification of 14 MLAs, paves way for new govt in State.

Feb 19: SC rejects Congress’ plea for floor test in Arunachal assembly.

Feb 19: President’s rule lifted in the State.

Feb 20: Pul sworn in as CM of Arunachal Pradesh.

(Aaya Cong, Gaya Cong: Party loses govt in Arunachal again Sep 17 2016 : The Times of India adds: In February, BJP had supported Pul's government, which was formed through a similar defection of Congress MLAs to PPA. But Pul had to step down after the SC ordered reinstatement of the Tuki-led Congress government that he had dislodged.Following this, on July 16, Khandu became chief minister of the frontier state.)

Feb 22: SC reserves verdict on batch of petitions dealing with discretionary powers of Governor to summon or advance the assembly sessions, says it has the powers to undo the damage.

Jul 13: SC terms Governor’s decision unconstitutional, orders restoration of Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh.

Jul 14: Acting Governor of Arunachal Pradesh Tathagata Roy asks Chief Minister Nabam Tuki to prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly by July 16, 2016.

Jul 15: Nabam Tuki meets Arunachal Pradesh Governor Tathagata Roy to seek postponement of the floor test by at least 10 days. But Governor Roy rejects Nabam Tuki’s plea for deferring floor test slated for July 16.

Jul 16: Chief Minister Nabam Tuki resigns, a few hours ahead of the much-anticipated floor test. Pema Khandu, son of former Chief Minister Dorgee Khandu, has been elected as the chief of the Congress Legislature Party.

Aug 9: Former Arunachal CM Kalikho Pul found hanging

Sept 16: Pema Khandu quits Congress along with 43 party MLAs, joins the People’s Party of Arunachal Pradesh (PPA). Nabam Tuki, Mr. Khandu's predecessor, is the only MLA who chose to stay with the Congress.

2016, September: Cong CM, MLAs defect to BJP ally

Aaya Cong, Gaya Cong: Party loses govt in Arunachal again Sep 17 2016 : The Times of India adds:

CM & 42 MLAs Shift Together To BJP Ally

Two months after its government in Arunachal Pradesh was “restored“ following a Supreme Court order, Congress was left squirming on Friday with chief minister Pema Khandu defecting with all but one of the 42 party MLAs, plus the speaker, to People's Party of Arunachal, a regional outfit allied with the BJP-led NDA.

The development is the latest in the dramatic twists and turns in the turbulent politics of the sensitive border state. The Supreme Court had castigated former governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa for dismissing the state government and imposing central rule in January .

The controversial dismissal of Nabam Tuki's government had led to Congress rebels forming another government with BJP's support.

Arunachal is one of the oldest bastions of Congress in the northeast, but with the defection of Khandu along with speaker Tenzing Norbu Thongduk, the party is now left with just one MLA -Tuki.

After Friday's upheaval, the 60-member assembly has 43 PPA members, 11 BJP legislators, one Congress MLA and two Independents. The seat of ex-chief minister Kalikho Pul is vacant after he died last month. The status of two Congress MLAs, who resigned before the Tuki government fell in January , is unclear.

The latest development follows the Centre's decision [a few days before] to sack Rajkhowa after the apex court order struck down his decision as “unconstitutional“. It appears that the Centre did not want the controversial Rajkhowa to preside over the swearing-in of the Khandu government, this time in pro-NDA colours. BJP state chief Tapir Gao held the Congress leadership responsible for the revolt.“Sonia and Rahul Gandhi should have taken care of this in time,“ he said. BJP state chief Tapir Gao blamed Congress for fail ing to address the issues faced by its state party functionaries. On the possibility of PPA MLAs joining BJP , he said, “Our door is always open.“

In a game of musical chairs that has marked political developments in Arunachal Pradesh, Pul had overthrown Tuki in a similar fashion by joining the PPA with 29 Congress MLAs in February. Pul died under mysterious circumstances on August 9 shortly after being unseated by a SC ruling.

On Friday , Khandu paraded 42 MLAs before assembly speaker Tenzing Norbu Thongdok, who had no qualms in accepting the change in their allegiance to PPA, assembly sources said.This was subsequently notified in the assembly bulletin.

Khandu claimed there was no political motive in the switch. “Our decision to join PPA was conscious and unanimous. In a meeting (where MLAs decided to leave Congress) held in the morning, most MLAs were of the view that a change was imperative to get more funds from the Centre,“ he said.

Asked why the MLAs did not join BJP, he replied, “The people of the state have very high aspirations and they are very regional in character.“

The decision to don PPA colours seems politically convenient with a development argument thrown in. “For a state poor in resources, it is necessary to be with a bigger party to get more funds from the Centre,“ deputy CM Chowna Mein said. Tuki, who is out of town, could not be contacted for comment.

Gao welcomed Khandu's decision and said, “This decision should have been taken earlier. We are happy that PM Narendra Modi's dream of Congress-mukt (free) Bharat is going to become a reality now.“

Since PPA is a constituent of Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA), the change in political affiliation of Congress MLAs is set to put BJP in power through the back door again. NEDA was formed by BJP chief Amit Shah after the saffron party won the Assam elections in May .

PTI’s Timeline resumes

Sept 22: President Pranab Mukherjee dismisses Arunachal Pradesh Governor J.P. Rajkhowa, after it became apparent that he was not going to quit as desired by the Centre.

Nov 19: BJP fields Dasanglu Pul, the third wife of former chief minister Kalikho Pul. She wins the by-election to Hayuliang constituency. The bypoll was held following the death of Kalikho Pul.

Dec 13: Kiren Rijiju rejects allegations of being involved in a Rs. 450-crore transportation scam at a hydel power project. Opposition Congress demands ouster of Rijiju from the union council of ministers and a CBI probe.

Dec 29: Pema Khandu and six other MLAs suspended for anti-party activities.

Dec 30: Takam Pario, PHED minister, is likely to be the next Arunachal Pradesh CM, informs PPA President Kahfa Bengia.

The position on 18 Sept 2016, after mass defections

In & out of the Congress, Sep 17 2016 : The Times of India

30 Congress MLAs who had gone to People's Party of Arunachal returned to Congress in July 2016 when Pema Khandu became CM. Of them, 29 are back in PPA

The original 5 PPA legislators

In the 2014 election, PPA had won five seats. The five legislators later defected to Congress.Now, all of them are back in PPA

PPA parade

Pema Khandu paraded his 42 MLAs before Assembly speaker Tenzing Norbu Thongdok who accepted their joining PPA

Last man standing

The only MLA who stayed back in the Congress is Nabam Tuki, who Congress replaced as CM to contain rebellion in July

PPA stints in govt

PPA ruled Arunachal Pradesh from March 3 to July 13 this year. It had formed govt once before on Sept 18, 1979 under Tomo Riba. That govt lasted 46 days