Itanagar, May 25: Senior Congress leader Lijum Ronya, who was recently dropped by Chief Minister Mukut Mithi from his cabinet, said the Congress stood no chance of returning to power in the next assembly elections if Mithi remained at the helm. Mithi dropped Ronya, who was in charge of the ministry of forest and horticulture, from his cabinet on May 21 without citing any reason.

"My ouster from the ministry was not justified... Let the people judge my achievement in various departments like education, power, environment and forest and horticulture," Ronya told reporters here yesterday after returning from a visit to his constituency. Ronya, who alleged Mithi was apprehensive that he could be the next contender for chief ministership said none could level any corruption charge against "me in my long political career".

Mithi's "undemocratic" step to drop him without holding any meeting of party disciplinary committee, would deliver a blow to Congress and the government, he said.

"If Mithi remains the APCC president and chief minister for some more time, the future of Congress will be doomed in the next assembly election and the party leadership will have to repent it," he said. Bureau Report