PPA re-surfaces in Arunachal politics

Itanagar, Aug 23: The People's Party of Arunachal(PPA), state's first regional party which had merged with Janata Dal (JD) in 1989, was revived yesterday.

Party sources here today said former Arunachal Congress (AC) president Kameng Ringu was appointed as its acting president.

A special executive-cum-general body meeting of PPA held under the chairmanship of Tamar Karlo at Rono Hills here unanimously resolved to revive the party after a threadbare discussion and authorised Mr Ringu to move the Election Commission for endorsing the revival.

The meeting also constituted a three-member drafting committee to redraft the constitution of the party to form the acting executive body and convene the next general body meeting in February 2008.

In 1978, the PPA had won eight of the total 30 Assembly seats leaving 17 seats to Janata Party (JP) and five to the INC.

Sources said the defection of four JP legislators increased the strength of PPA to 12, which formed the ministry headed by Tomo Riba on 18 February 1979 after being re-christened as United People's Party of Arunachal (UPPA).

However, the ministry lasted only for 47 days because of re-defection and Mr Riba recommended dissolution of the assembly.

The then administrator dissolved the Assembly and recommended President's Rule on November, third 1979.

The election in January 1980 saw INC and UPPA winning 13 seats each while four were independent in a 30-member House. However, four UPPA MLAs defected to Congress to catapult the party to power on 18 January 1980.

After being renamed as PPA, the party captured only four of the total 30 seats in 1984 and lost its identity in 1989 with its merger with JD. Mr Riddi, who resigned on Monday from the post of AC general secretary along with Ringu and 13 other party leaders, disclosed that AC was perceived as the 'offshoot' of a national party.

''This has compelled us to quit the party and prompted us to revive PPA to harness the inherent support of the masses.''Mr Riddi reiterated.

He further added that the PPA would maintain its ideology in tune with the changing time.

Meanwhile, legislator Daklo Nidak has been unanimously appointed as the working president of AC till reconstitution of the party at a meeting convened yesterday by AC MLA J K Panggeng, sources said.

The meeting also took stock of the political situation following the resignation of president Kamen Ringu along with other functionaries. However, those who have not resigned would continue to hold their respective posts, sources added.

UNI