Third Front formed in Arunachal to contest polls

ITANAGAR, Feb 19: Various political parties in Arunachal Pradesh today joined hands to contest the forthcoming parliamentary and Assembly polls under a common platform with an objective to oust the decades-old Congress regime in the state.
Constituted for the first time in the history of the state’s politics, the third front, under the banner of ‘Arunachal Democratic Alliance (ADA)’, is a conglomeration of various national and regional political parties, namely the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Janata Dal United (JDU), Lok Janashakti Party (LJP), Lok Bharati (LB), Arunachal Congress (AC) and Peoples Party of Arunachal (PPA).
The newly floated alliance would contest in both the Lok Sabha seats besides putting candidates in all 60 assembly seats, AC president C T Manpoong told a press conference here this afternoon.
“The alliance will finalise on February 23 its common minimum programmes and seat sharing for both the elections,” he disclosed and added that they would also elect the convener as well as the committee of the alliance on the same day.
When asked on the strategy on how to check the tendencies of elected MLAs to change allegiance and switch over to the ruling party, Manpoong made it clear that necessary measures would be adopted in this regard.
“The alliance would be the voice of Arunachal and work for the interest of the common people to improve their economic and social status,” Aath Kabak Tacho, president of state unit of NCP, commented while Kamen Ringu, president of PPA claimed that the ADA would take the people of the state into a new direction with a new vision.
Ringu also informed that the alliance would revive the old issues like Chakma-Hajong refugee imbroglio, besides infiltration and corruption, which was rampant in the Dorjee Khandu-led Congress government.
Referring to the present stand-off between the employees and government on implementation of Sixth Pay Commission (SPC) recommendations, Lok Bharati president Domo Boje alleged that such a chaotic situation was a result of mismanagement by the present government.
LJP state unit president Michi Tagio and JDU state president Kardu Taipodia, while criticising the state government for its alleged failure to redress the grievances of the striking employees, said the ministers and MLAs were ‘wasting’ public money for their luxury. (Agencies)