ITANAGAR,Oct17? APCC president Mukut Mithi on Saturday opposed the inclusion of Arunachal Congress and NCP MLAs in the new Congress ministry in Arunachal headed by Gegong Apang, reports PTI. Mithi referred to Apang?s statement at his first press conference after his swearing-in as Chief Minister on Saturday where he did not rule out the inclusion of independents and Arunachal Congress and NCP MLAs subject to the approval of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
These MLAs had extended their support to the Congress on condition that Apang was elected Chief Minister. Mithi said as APCC president he did not favour this. ''Congress has comfortable majority with 34 seats in the 60-member State assembly and inclusion of Independents and other party MLAs in the ministry does not arise'', he said.
Mithi, who was a contender for the top post but had to bow out of the race as Apang was the High Command's choice, said he would be going to New Delhi to participate in the discussions on ministry formation that the Chief Minister would have with Sonia Gandhi. He clarified that he was going to Delhi in the next few days at the call of the AICC.
When his attention was drawn to another comment of the Chief Minister that the general feeling among the newly-elected Congress MLAs was that there was no need for Deputy Chief Minister, Mithi said it was the prerogative of the Chief Minister and the Congress High Command as to who will get what post. ''MLAs have no say'', he added.
Asked if he had been tipped for the Deputy Chief Minister's post, Mithi said, ''Why are you repeating the question again and again? I did not have any talk with Apang on ministry formation so far''.