Arunachal BJP president quits the post

Itanagar, Sep 20: In yet another blow to the BJP in Arunachal Pradesh, the State Unit President Tapen Siga resigned from his post on Tuesday citing 'personal reasons'.

Mr Siga had send his resignation letter to party president Rajnath Singh, said party sources said here. The BJP had captured nine of the total 60 seats in the state Assembly during the 2004 poll, highest in the entire North Eastern region for the party.

The first major blow to the party came after eight of the nine legislators led by Opposition leader Kameng Dolo deserted party on June 4 to join the ruling Congress.

Both former ministers --Talo Mugli and Doi Ado-- along with former state president Taba Hare left the party en masse with supporters on July 7 to join the ruling party. Party sources suspect that this could be one of the main factors for Mr Siga's resignation.

However, denying any impact on the party following such defection, MP and national BJP secretary Kiren Rijiju here claimed ''it has tarnished the image of the state not that of BJP's'.

UNI