No threat to Apang's government: Sora

Itanagar, Apr 5 (UNI) Speculation over change in the leadership in Arunachal Pradesh took a new twist today with Congress MLA Kito Sora, a supporter of Chief Minister Gegong Apang, terming the crisis ''baseless''.

In a statement, Mr Sora, while rubbishing the report that the Apang-led government was being toppled as appeared in some sections of the press, termed it ''baseless'' and the government was very much stable with the majority support of the Congress MLAs and that of associate independent MLAs.

Even the Chief Minister yesterday, in an interview to UNI, ruled out the possibility of any threat to his 30-month-old government in the state.

Mr Apang admitted that a section of the party legislators had been influenced by ''money power'' to destabilise the state government as it was determined to carry out developmental activities which could probably affect the business fortune of many.

The use of ''money power'' was evident from the fact that the number of party MLAs who were camping in Delhi were being lodged in some five-star hotel, Mr Apang said.

He denied that any of his Cabinet colleagues had tendered resignations to him or any other quarter. Pointing out that some ministers and MLAs, supposedly led by Power Minister Dorjee Khandu, were demanding change in leadership for no issue at all, Mr Sora said, ''The demand was not based on any real issue, like law and order, fiscal management or development but purely to serve vested interests while the ministers were apprehensive of being dropped for non-performance.'' Claiming that ''the dissidents do not have the requisite number for their possible defection or form a regional party in case the Congress high command did not agree to their demand,'' Mr Sora said that ''some of the MLAs have returned to the Apang camp happily to extend their support with commitment to work for the greater interest of Congress''.

Accusing that those leaders were reportedly financed by some ''business houses'' to stay in a posh hotel instead of two Arunachal Bhawans at Delhi, Mr Sora said that Khandu projected as CLP leader was a pawn in the hands of vested interest to disturb the prevailing stability in the state and replace a man of Apang's stature with vision by Khandu with ''limited educational qualification''.

While this would send a wrong signal when Congress is all set for the crucial UP election, it would give a chance to the Opposition to term Congress-ruled states as unstable and turn the party image.

Moreover, the political situation may result in the cancellation of the proposed visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's maiden visit to the state in second week of April, which otherwise would accrue great benefit to the state, he said.

Meanwhile, AICC President Sonia Gandhi is neither in favour of a change in leadership in Arunachal Pradesh nor has taken any decision in this regard, Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress chief and AICC's NE inchage Oscar Fernandes quoted them as saying, during an interview with a Guwahati-based news channel.

UNI