Apang out, Khandu is new Arunachal Chief Minister

Apang’s removal came after a political crisis progressively deepened over the last two weeks with 25 of the 33 Congress legislators first writing to and then approaching the party high command physically, demanding his ouster. The 25 MLAs camped in New Delhi for several days and returned today only after the High Command announced that Apang was being replaced by Khandu, whom the dissident group had chosen as its leader.

Apang, considered an expert at clinging to power at any cost, had taken over as Chief Minister for the fifth time following the October 2004 Assembly elections. While he once stayed in power by converting the entire Congress to the Arunachal Congress, a regional party, he also holds the distinction of shifting lock, stock and barrel to the BJP to remain chief minister when the NDA was in power at the Centre. Apang ruled Arunachal Pradesh on and off for 23 years under different banners, but the Congress remained his favourite party.

The dissidents who led to Apang’s ouster told party president Sonia Gandhi that they were “fed up” with the “dictatorial attitude” of the Chief Minister, and that the party would not last if Apang were to remain in power for long.