Ex-CM Tuki may join BJP soon

Guwahati: In a significant political development, former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki is contemplating to join his old colleagues in BJP.

Indicating that his brother and environment and forest minister Nabam Rebia was lobbying for his induction in the BJP, sources in the BJP said that issue came up during a recent meeting of BJP president Amit Shah with Northeast leaders in Imphal.

Indicating that BJP president has left the issue to the state leadership, sources said that central BJP leaders were skeptical about the inclusion of Mr Tuki but Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu was backing the move.

Asserting that Mr Khandu was backing his inclusion for some political reasons, sources present in the Imphal meeting said that a lobby of old BJP leaders are opposed to the idea of inducting former Congress chief minister into the party.

Pointing out that Mr Khandu was pushing his induction in order to strengthen his position in the party, sources said that a large section of BJP leaders are afraid of party deviating from its ideological line and losing its hold at the grassroots if all the Congress leaders are accommodated by the party in the frontier state.

The BJP leaders are also worried that induction of veteran Congress leaders in the BJP would also deny opportunity to upcoming young youths joining the party in the frontier state.

Accusing that Mr Khandu has resorted to policy of appeasing Christians, sources in the party said that chief minister’s announcement to repeal anti-conversion law — the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act 1978 was also matter of concern for them.