Taga joins BJP, vows to strengthen party

Itanagar, Sep 23 (UNI) The BJP in Arunachal Pradesh today received a shot in its arm with former Speaker and Education Minister Tamiyo Taga joining the party's fold.

''It is a home coming for Taga, who is the former president of the party,'' BJP state president Tapen Siga said in a press conference here this morning.

Political heavyweight and former minister Lijum Ronya also joined the saffron party recently.

Taga, who served as the Speaker in the then Congress government led by Mukut Mithi during 1999 after shifting his loyalty from the BJP as its president, later joined the saffron party when Mukut Mithi's government was toppled, and served the state as Education Minister in the Gegong Apang-led BJP government.

He, however, joined the Congress before the last Assembly elections in 2004 but failed to get party ticket and contested from Rumgong constituency under West Siang district as an Independent candidate, without success.

''With Taga's coming back, the party would benefit from his experiences and would be strengthened at the grass-root level'', Mr.

Siga said.

When asked the reason for his return to the party, Mr Taga said that his intention was to expose the ''misdeeds'' of the Congress government led by Gegong Apang.

The Apang government has failed in all fronts to keep the peoples' aspirations alive, he alleged.

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