Itanagar, Aug 27: The speaker of the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Sitong Sena has issued a notification recognising 31 Congress (D) MLAs who have switched over to the BJP. Henceforth, the 31 Congress (D) MLAs would be deemed as the legislators in Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly as members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Sena said in the notification issued late last night.

This list, however, is short of 10 members who claimed to have joined the BJP. It is not clear yet when the remaining members would be recognised by the speaker. However, 41-members of UDF Legislature Party -- Congress (D) 36, Independents 2, unattached one and Chief Minister Gegong Apang of Arunachal Congress -- had applied for BJP membership which was announced here by BJP's North East in-charge V Satish yesterday.

The speaker recognised the Congress (D) members as BJP members under 10th schedule of the Constitution. Bureau Report