Arunachal Elections 2024: Denied ticket, cabinet minister Tumke Bagra quits BJP

Less than a month left for the Assembly as well as Lok Sabha elections, the political landscape in Arunachal Pradesh is fast changing. Especially the BJP is witnessing exodus of leaders who have been denied tickets to fight the elections.

The Saffron Party suffered a big blow today after a minister in the Pema Khandu cabinet, Tumke Bagra today quit the party after being disappointed over not getting a party ticket to contest the elections.

Bagra in his letter to Arunachal Pradesh BJP president Biyuram Waghe citing his unhappiness stated, “The denial of party ticket has completely demoralised my enthusiasm to work for the party and make me compel to feel that my associations in the party is no more required by the party leadership in the national as well as state level. At the sametime, the decisions of party high command has deeply disheartened my well-wishers and grass-root workers. Under such circumstances, I have no other option than to leave the party by resigining from primary as well as active membership.”

Inputs suggest that Bagra will be the Arunchal Democratic Party (ADP) candidate from the Arunachal (West) Lok Sabha seat. Once Bagra’s name is officially cleared, he will be up against Union Minister and incumbent MP Kiren Rijiju.

The BJP has given the ticket to Topin Ete to contest the election from the Aalo West constituency, a seat represented by BJP’s Tumke Bagra (2-time MLA) since 2014.

The Janata Dal had won the seat once way back in 1990 and after that the Congress ruled the seat since 1995 until 2014.

Presently, Bagra is a MLA elected from Aalo West Constituency in West Siang district. He became Deputy Speaker of the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly on 23 March 2016. On 23 May 2019, he was elected for the second term & presently holding the Cabinet Ministry (Industry, Trade & Commerce and Skill Development) under Pema Kandu government.

After being denied party ticket for the assembly election in Arunachal Pradesh, Dorjee Wangdi Kharma, sitting MLA of BJP from Kalaktang constituency on March 15 switched allegiance from the BJP to the National People’s Party (NPP) and sought a ticket to contest the election.

Takku Jerang, an aspiring candidate of the BJP from the Pangin constituency had also joined Congress in hopes of securing a party ticket after he was denied a ticket to contest the election by BJP.

On March 14 too 6 ticket aspirants–Ramjo Produng,Taja Bonung, Mayu Taring, Nagram Togung, Nobang Burang and Tabe Doni, who were denied party tickets for the ensuing Assembly Elections by the BJP had joined the NPP.