New Delhi, July 11: Stepping up pressure for the removal of governor V.C. Pande and imposition of President?s rule, a delegation of MLAs from Arunachal Pradesh, led by former chief minister and state Congress president Mukut Mithi today urged the AICC to take up the issue with the Centre.
After a meeting with Congress general secretary and Arunachal Pradesh in-charge Oscar Fernandez, Mithi told reporters that he has submitted a first-hand account of his interactions with the governor.
?We have briefed the high command about the development, besides a clarification of the actual position leading to the demand for President?s rule,? Mithi said. The memorandum would also be submitted to the President, Prime Minister and the Union home minister. Congress president Sonia Gandhi would also be briefed, he added.
Members of the delegation said President?s rule was needed to ensure ?free and fair polls? in the state, scheduled to be held in October. Adding a new twist to the controversy over the governor?s conduct, Congress leaders from the state alleged that it was chief minister Gegong Apang and his supporters who forced Pande to dissolve the Assembly.
?Rumours that we misbehaved with the governor would be proved wrong soon as we have the entire episode recorded. On the contrary, it was chief minister Apang and his supporters who forced the governor to dissolve the Assembly,? said state Congress spokesperson Takam Sanjay. He alleged that some ?transaction? had taken place between Apang and the governor.
Delegates also discussed the poll strategy with Fernandez and it was decided that all former MLAs wishing to come back would be readmitted. ?So far 18 MLAs have joined the Congress and another nine are willing to join. Apang?s fate seems to be sealed and that is why he is so keen to be the caretaker chief minister so that he may have the chance to manipulate the polls,? said Sanjay.
Mithi said tickets to the former BJP and Congress (D) legislators for the forthcoming Assembly elections would be given depending on their ?winnability? in the elections.
The issue of Apang?s return to the Congress had also cropped up during the talks at the AICC. ?Apang is always welcome to the Congress but the condition that he had laid down that Mithi should be removed is not acceptable to the party,? said Sanjay.