The Peoples’ Party of Arunachal (PPA) on Friday clarified that the party has so far not taken any decision to forge a pre or post poll alliance with any of the national political parties in the ensuing Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
The clarification from the lone regional party of the state comes a few days after Pradesh Congress Committee president, Takam Sanjoy, had announced that the Indian National Congress was considering of having a pre-poll alliance with the PPA and other parties like the Janata Dal (Secular).
Addressing a news conference at the Press Club here, PPA chairman Kamen Ringu said that his party would fight the state Assembly and Lok Sabha elections on its own.
“The statement given by the Congress president to consider a pre-poll alliance with the PPA is like undermining the integrity of our party. We will not forge any alliance and contest both the elections alone keeping our regional ideology intact,” Ringu said.
Assembly and the Lok Sabha elections in the State will be held simultaneously in single phase on April 11.
The party chairman said it was very unfortunate that a few of its MLAs were being lured by the national parties like the BJP and Congress.
Ringu said that there were possibilities that PPA president Kahfa Bengia and secretary general Kaling Jerang might have had casual discussions with the Congress in terms of the alliance; however, the part does not endorse those talks as an official one.
He added that the party has temporarily suspended the duo for hobnobbing with the Congress for an alliance without intimating other executive members of the party.
Ringu further requested the “untainted, energetic and educated youths” of the state to join the regional party for the betterment of the state.
Arunachal will never develop till the time it is ruled by a national party. The Central government is always controlling the State in every development work. This should be minimized. We should have the power of protecting our own interests,” Ringu said.
Speaking on the party’s agenda for the ensuing polls, Ringu said that it would be inclusive development and keeping intact the interest of the indigenous people of state.
The party further announced that the names of its candidates for the polls would be made public soon.