ITANAGAR, April 10 – The ruling BJP today appeared to be heading for a confrontation with All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) by deciding to field candidates in the Lok Sabha election defying the call for poll boycott over the Chakma-Hajong refugee issue of the apex students organisation, reports PTI.
BJP State unit President Taba Hare despatched a letter to the AAPSU saying that his party did not agree that boycotting the poll would bring about any solution to the refugee issue. The AAPSU had called a press conference with all political parties today to jointly announce endorsement of “no solution (to refugee issue), no election.”
Earlier on April 2, the AAPSU had served an ultimatum to the saffron party ruled State government to hear ‘objections by the people’ against inclusion of 1497 refugees in three Assembly constituencies. The ultimatum lapsed today. The powerful student body had given the poll boycott poll in protest against the Election Commission’s order for inclusion of Chakma-Hajong refugees in the State electoral rolls. Hare appealed to AAPSU to give serious thought to the consequences of poll-boycott and cooperate with all political parties for participating in the democratic process.
The opposition Congress representatives Takam Sanjoy, MLA said Congress and its ally Arunachal Congress (AC) supported the poll boycott call and said they would not be the first to file nominations. According to the AAPSU President Byabang Taj and General Secretary Ghaider the poll boycott call was given on the basis of an all party core committee resoluton. The AAPSU leaders claimed that they were voicing the sentiment of the people of the whole state. “If any political party or individual files nomination defying the boycott call, AAPSU will take serious exception and they will face the consequences.”
BJP State unit Vice-President Dr Biman Natung, Congress MLA Tatar Kipa, its General Secretary T C Tok, AC General Secretary A Riddi and Vice-President T Partin were present. There was no representatives of Nationalist Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi party. The BJP, Congress, its ally Arunachal Congress, NTC and SP have already announced the names of their candidates for the two Lok Sabha seats in the state going to polls on May 5.