Itanagar: Ahead of the upcoming Panchayat elections over 1000 members and voters from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) officially joined the Indian National Congress (INC) on Saturday, in East Siang District in Arunachal.
The merger ceremony, held at Uma Ganga Ecological Resort in Rayang village near Ruksin, saw the presence of Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) working president Bosiram Siram, District Congress Committee president Alen Perme, and other prominent leaders.
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The en-bloc merger, led by Tamat Saroh, the former election agent of NCP in the 37th Pasighat West Assembly Constituency, involved key NCP figures, including former party candidate Tapyam Pada and several block and village-level office bearers.
In the merger memorandum, Saroh emphasized that the NCP leaders and voters sought to join a major national party to counter the ruling BJP. He expressed hope that their move to INC under Bosiram Siram’s leadership would strengthen the party in the region.
Bosiram Siram welcomed the NCP leaders and voters, describing the merger as a positive development for INC, both in 37th Pasighat West and across Arunachal Pradesh. He stated that INC, under the leadership of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and PM candidate Rahul Gandhi, would soon return to power, positioning itself as the only viable alternative to the ruling BJP. Siram also criticized the BJP for its declining support among the people.
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The merger also highlighted INC’s strategic efforts, as the party did not field a candidate in 37th Pasighat West during the last assembly election. However, Bosiram Siram, running as the INC’s MP candidate, had received a higher vote margin than BJP’s candidate, Tapir Gao, signaling increasing support for Congress in the region.
With the merger, the political landscape in Pasighat West has shifted, energizing INC ahead of the Panchayat elections in December. This development is expected to strengthen Congress, as it seeks to capitalize on the BJP’s weakening position, particularly amidst ongoing controversies surrounding the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act-1978 (APFRA-1978).
Siram condemned the Act for dividing the people along religious lines, undermining the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion.