This week, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) unilaterally announced Ruhi Tangung as the candidate for the Arunachal West Lok Sabha constituency. Ruhi is the state president of the JD(U). It should be mentioned that one of the BJP’s key figures from the region in the Narendra Modi-led BJP government, Kiren Rijiju, represents this constituency.
This unilateral announcement of the candidate is significant, given that the JD(U) is a constituent of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). It aims to send a message to Congress to be more accommodating to the various constituents of the bloc, where the grand old party is the largest component. Nitish Kumar, who recently reassumed the post of national president of the JD(U), has been unhappy with the Congress leadership as he hasn’t been made the convenor of the bloc yet. This post is likely to elevate him as the face of the bloc nationally, but Congress has been reluctant to grant him that space.
This decision hasn’t been well-received by Congress. In the last Lok Sabha elections, the grand old party was the second-largest party in the Arunachal West constituency as well as the Arunachal East Constituency. Thus, the grand old party believes that it should contest the two Lok Sabha seats of the state.
It is also true that if JD(U) and Congress contest separately, the seat is very likely to be a cakewalk for the BJP. The party’s general secretary, Afaque Ahmed Khan, has stated that the JD(U) will contest the state assembly polls as well. If this happens, the JD(U) is likely to split the anti-incumbency votes and ultimately aid the BJP in the northeastern state.
These political developments in Arunachal Pradesh are clear signs of Nitish Kumar's discontent towards Congress. The national leadership of Congress needs to take steps immediately to nullify this discontent before Nitish Kumar takes another turn towards the BJP-National Democratic Alliance.
It should be mentioned that the JD(U) has a base in the northeastern state. Although it didn’t contest the last Lok Sabha polls in Arunachal in 2019, the party participated in the last state assembly polls held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls and performed well by winning 7 seats with a vote share of 9.88%. It is another story that all seven legislators are now with the ruling BJP.
Guwahati IIT Employee Joins ULFA(I)
In a shocking incident, an employee of Guwahati-IIT joined the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent)-led by Paresh Barua. This news came just days after the signing of the peace pact by the Centre and the Assam government with the pro-talks faction of ULFA. The signing of the pact, no doubt, marked the end of a crucial chapter of terrorism in the northeastern state, as ULFA is the oldest insurgent group and was once regarded as the most dreaded group.
The move by the IIT employee shows that the love for the ULFA hasn’t been completely eradicated from the state’s society. More importantly, this joining reveals that poverty is not the sole factor pushing the youth towards the terrorist group. In recent times, some youth have joined the ULFA(I). Last December, a journalist working for a local daily joined the Baruah-led outfit. In the same month, three youths on their way to join the ULFA(I) were arrested by the state police with the help of Assam Rifles.
These developments do raise concerns. The important question that needs to be asked is — What is pushing the youth towards the ULFA(I), a weakened force with about 200 cadres operating from hideouts in Myanmar? No, poverty is not the only main reason. It has to do with the discontent remaining within Assamese society. The Assamese fear that in their own state, they would be reduced to a minority in the near future. These fears are genuine. The 2011 census revealed that the Assamese-speaking population is 48.38% — these statistics only confirmed the fears of the Assamese. It is the responsibility of the Centre and the state government to address these fears properly to mitigate the concerns of Assamese society.
Boost For Sikkim’s CAP
Ahead of the assembly elections in the Himalayan state, the newly formed Citizen Action Party got a boost after former state Congress president Bharat Basnett joined the party. Basnett had earlier contested the assembly elections twice as a Congress candidate in both 2004 and 2009 — and both times, he stood second and lost to the candidates of Sikkim Democratic Front. In the last Lok Sabha elections, he performed miserably as the Congress candidate.
Having said this, Basnett is a seasonal leader, and his joining is likely to benefit a new party like CAP. Interestingly, he is now in the same boat as DB Chauhan, who is the former state BJP president and now a leader of the CAP. Last December, the CAP got recognition as a party from the Election Commission of India, and later it also got the party symbol. The symbol for the new party is the Nagarik (Citizen). The CAP’s president Laxmi Prasad Kafley has recently said that the party will contest all the 32 assembly constituencies.
The author is a political commentator.
[Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs, and views expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this website are personal and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs, and views of ABP News Network Pvt Ltd.]
What Does JDU’s Selection Of Lok Sabha Candidate In Arunachal Pradesh Mean For I.N.D.I.A?
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07.01.2024
This week, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) unilaterally announced Ruhi Tangung as the candidate for the Arunachal West Lok Sabha constituency. Ruhi is the state president of the JD(U). It should be mentioned that one of the BJP’s key figures from the region in the Narendra Modi-led BJP government, Kiren Rijiju, represents this constituency.
This unilateral announcement of the candidate is significant, given that the JD(U) is a constituent of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). It aims to send a message to Congress to be more accommodating to the various constituents of the bloc, where the grand old party is the largest component. Nitish Kumar, who recently reassumed the post of national president of the JD(U), has been unhappy with the Congress leadership as he hasn’t been made the convenor of the bloc yet. This post is likely to elevate him as the face of the bloc nationally, but Congress has been reluctant to grant him that space.
This decision hasn’t been well-received by Congress. In the last Lok Sabha elections, the grand old party was the second-largest party in the Arunachal West constituency as well as the Arunachal East Constituency. Thus, the grand old party believes that it should contest the two Lok Sabha seats of the state.
It is also true that if JD(U) and Congress........
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