After taking oath on 31 December as chief minister of a full-fledged BJP government, Pema Khandu said, “The lotus has finally bloomed in Arunachal Pradesh … the people will see a new dawn in 2017 under the new government.” Khandu had taken over in September after the Supreme Court annulled President’s rule and restored the Congress government headed by Nabam Tuki.
But after a few days he merged his entire Congress team of 42 members with the regional People’s Party of Arunachal Pradesh. The new development — the merger with the BJP — came about after the PPA temporarily suspended Khandu and some of his colleagues from the party for their “anti-party activities” without even serving them show-cause notices.
What possibly could have forced Khandu to take the prompt decision to team up with the BJP is perhaps his realisation of the uncertainty of his continuation with the support of the regional party. And he was well aware that when opportunity arises the regional party is certain to give him the short shrift.
Ever since Governor JP Rajkhowa (since dismissed) advanced the date of the assembly session, apparently to help the Congress dissidents who had sought Tuki’s removal, the state’s politics had beena rancorous sore. The year also saw Kalikho Pul, a dissident leader, fulfilling his desire to become the chief minister. He held the officefor about four months. Sadly enough, within weeks of being ousted, he allegedly committed suicide.
The swearing-in of four chief ministers in a year is in itself a sad commentary on the working of multi-party democracy. The frequent changes in leadership have already put on hold any meaning of development plans, mostly building of infrastructure. If Khandu has opted for the ruling party at the Centre with the main objective of rapid development of his state, he has done the right thing.
Congress Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave an assurance that by 2013 the 1,800-km Trans-Arunachal Highway would be ready but it is still under construction. Sadly enough even the strategic Miao-Vijayanagar Road, that will open up the most underdeveloped region in the interior, is behind schedule by many years.
The plan for a green airfield at Itanagar is also taking a long time. It may not even come up at all what with the state authorities now keen on using the military’s advanced landing grounds for civilian purposes.