GUWAHATI: Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister Kumar Waii on Sunday alleged he was denied ticket by his party, BJP, for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state as he was a contender of chief ministership.
“CM sa’ab (Pema Khandu) used his money power (to keep me out of poll fray). He thinks I am a contender of the CM’s post,” Waii alleged in a telephonic interview with this correspondent.
“The world is run on money power and when the CM purchased the party high command, what can I do? I cannot challenge it,” he said, adding, “I did a lot for the party but today it ignored me. The BJP ideology says it is the country first and then party and individuals. However, that is not being practised”.
The BJP on Sunday announced the names of all its 60 candidates, including three women, for Arunachal elections. Apart from Waii, Minister Jarkar Gamlin, who is a brother of former CM the late Jarbom Gamlin, and about half a dozen sitting MLAs were not issued tickets.
Waii had won the last election unopposed from Bameng seat in East Kameng district on Congress’s ticket. He had switched over to the BJP along with a large number of Congress MLAs, including Pema Khandu, two years later.
Waii is miffed that the BJP is fielding a man, who allegedly has no political background, from Bameng.
“The person (Goruk Pordung) given the ticket became an active member of the BJP only a month ago. He is not even Class V passed and doesn’t have a political career. Secondly, the BJP accuses the Congress of favouring family politics but the party itself is indulging in it,” he alleged. Pordung is a relative of Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju.
Asked if he will be in the poll fray, Waii said, “Why not? Democracy is run by the public. I will do whatever they want. My decision is that I will contest the polls. I will ask my supporters and the public which party I should contest from and take a call accordingly”.
Waii was severely criticised recently after three persons had died in police firing during protests against Khandu government’s bid to grant permanent residence certificates to six non-tribal communities in the state.