ITANAGAR, July 14 ? The Congress in Arunachal Pradesh has claimed that the ?caretaker? BJP-led UDF government was reduced to a minority due to some of the former MLAs of the coalition moving over to the Mukut Mithi-led Congress. Deputy CLP leader Tako Dabi asserted at a press conference here last night that the UDF government was reduced to a minority because 29 of its members had either joined the Congress or have given their consent to do so.
Besides the 22 members of the recently dissolved Assembly who had ?already joined? the party, seven, including four ministers, had consented to switch their loyalty, he said. The party originally had 16 members in the 60-member House with an effective strength of 58. On July 8, seven BJP, one Congress-D and an expelled member had joined the Congress. All of them rebelled after the downsizing exercise of the ministry as per 91st amendment of the Constitution.
Again on July 12, Dabi claimed that 13 UDF members ? including Mekup Dolo, Independent member and wife of Deputy Chief Minister Kameng Dolo ? had joined Congress. However, he had said the formal joining ceremony would be held on July 15 after PCC president Mukut Mithi arrived from Delhi. Kameng Dolo (BJP) denied this claim yesterday saying only two members had joined Congress on July 12. His wife remained with the UDF, he said.