Itanagar: Facing heat from dissidents,
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jarbom Gamlin on Monday tendered
his resignation to the Governor paving the way for a new
incumbent for the post.
A new Congress Legislature Party leader is likely to be
elected tomorrow by AICC president Sonia Gandhi and will be
subsequently sworn in as the new chief minister, party sources
said.
Earlier in the day, 42 Congress MLAs adopted a one-point
resolution authorising Gandhi to appoint a new CLP leader.
The resolution said, "We the party MLAs are authorising
Sonia Gandhi to nominate the CLP leader." It was read out to
mediapersons by AICC observer and Union Power Minister Sushil
Kumar Shinde.
The party MLAs held a meeting where Shinde and two other
observer former DoNER minister B K Handique and party`s
general secretary and in-charge of Arunachal Pradesh Dhaniram
Shandil were present.
The change in leadership was demanded by a majority of
Congress MLAs led by dissident leader Nabam Tuki. On October
29 both Gamlin and his party rival PCC chief Tuki had offered
to resign from their posts.
The AICC president had met both of them that evening.
The rift between Tuki and Gamlin had become a major issue
dividing the party along ethnic lines in the state with the
majority of Congress legislators demanding Gamlin`s
resignation for his alleged "authoritarian rule".
Gamlin was sworn in as chief minister on May 5 after the
death of former chief minister Dorjee Khandu in a helicopter
crash on April 30.
In the 60-member House, Congress has 42 members, Trinamool
Congress - 5, NCP - 5, People`s Party of Arunachal - 4, BJP -
3 and Independent one. Trinamool Congress and NCP provide
outside support to the Congress government
PTI
