Reacting strongly against the results of the recently-held referendum which went against Arunachal Pradesh’s former Congress Cabinet Minister-turned-BJP leader CC Singpho, Singpho expressed that he would contest the 2019 Arunachal Pradesh Assembly polls from the 49th Bordumsa-Diyun Legislative Assembly under Eastern Lok Sabha constituency and expected to win the polls.
The referendum was organized by the Singpho Development Society, an apex socio-ethnic body of the Singphos in Changlang district in the auditorium of the Singpho Heritage Centre on March 18 to select the leader from the Simpho community to contest in the next State Assembly polls.
Terming the affairs of the Singpho Development Society as ‘undemocratic ‘, Singpho reiterated that being in power for more than a decade representing the constituency from 1990 to 2014, he projects himself as the only capable leader to resist the strong opponents already gaining the grounds in the constituency. According to him, he would seek Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket to represent the constituency and fulfil the need and aspirations of his people who have been reportedly hurt by the outcome of the referendum.
Categorically making his stand clear to attend the political call of his supporters of the constituency even at the cost of a few Singpho votes, he said he has moral responsibility towards his people and has constitutional right to contest the election as a candidate he stood second in the last State Assembly election held in 2014 and was defeated by the current MLA of Bordumsa-Diyun constituency, Nikh Kamin, only by a margin of around 1250 votes.
However, he may be justifying the ground to lead the people of the constituency, yet it remains to be seen whether or not Singpho would be able to pacify a strong decedent group that has already emerged after the referendum among the Singpho people. Among other leaders, State BJP Secretary Mayong Maio, Jawra Maio of Bordumsa and Srai Ong Singpho from Miao were also in the row.
Mayong Maio, who was voted by 70 per cent of the Singpho people in the recent referendum and earned popular support on his side lending him a clear road to contest the next Assembly election, has a better scope of securing party ticket while Srai Ong Singpho of Maio, being the senior-most BJP worker in the district claims that the party high command decision would come in his favour as he had been the only leader serving the party persistently in braving various odds during the Congress regime.
Another leader, Jawra Maio, who is associated with legal profession, has also been reportedly gearing up for the election expecting BJP ticket after he was voted by 17.6 per cent of people in the said referendum.
“Maio, who was defeated earlier by CC Singpho, cannot be underestimated this time with huge supporters on his side and as such we have already started ground work,” said a youth leader.
Meanwhile, sources informed that Bordumsa Singpho Youth Organization has called for another meeting on March 25 to discuss and examine the pros and corns related to the outcome of the referendum and sharp divisions surfacing thereafter among the leaders of the community.