Arunachal chief minister faces dissidence

September 15th, 2011 - 7:22 pm ICT by IANS  

Itanagar, Sep 15 (IANS) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jarbom Gamlin faces a storm — many ruling Congress legislators want him out.

According to Congress sources, at least 20-24 legislators, including some ministers, have urged the party leadership, seeking his ouster.

The Congress has 42 legislators in the 60-member house. Gamlin took over as chief minister after Dorjee Khandu died in a helicopter crash.

“The people of Arunachal are unhappy with the autocratic style of functioning of the chief minister,” a Congress leader said requesting not to be named.

“We have formally apprised the party leadership in Delhi about the dissatisfaction over Gamlin’s style of functioning.”

Gamlin was not immediately available for comments.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) spokesperson Bamang Felix said: “For the last few weeks, (many) Congress legislators and ministers are outside the state lobbying for a change in leadership.

“Development work has halted and there is literally no government now,” he added.

The NCP has five legislators in the Arunachal assembly.

Some complaints against the chief minister relate to his style of functioning.

Gamlin’s performance has been under the scanner earlier as well. Former chief minister Gegong Apang dropped him as home minister on charges of failing to execute his duties.

Others have also hit out at the chief minister.

“The chief minister has done more harm than good to the state since he assumed office in May,” Bamang Tago, a known civil rights campaigner, told IANS.

“In the last four months, the law and order situation has deteriorated and there has been a major communal divide in the state,” he added.

Arunachal Pradesh Health Minister Atum Welly has been accused of illegally appointing his son and daughter based on fake documents, Tago said, quoting information provided by a Right to Information (RTI) activist.

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