33 MLAs of People's Party of Arunachal join BJP

NEW DELHI: Politics turned a full circle in

Arunachal Pradesh

on Saturday when 33 of the 43 People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) MLAs joined the saffron party in

Itanagar

. PPA is left with only 10 MLAs in the 60-member house.


In September, the party embraced Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu along with 42 other lawmakers who broke away from the Congress, suddenly leaving the party out of power in the state. The

Northeast Democratic Alliance

government, which is a part of the BJP-led NDA, then took charge.

Khandu was suspended along with his deputy and five other lawmakers on Thursday. The PPA has asked the assembly Speaker to declare the suspended members "unattached" and seat them separately for now. Khandu is accused of trying to merge his party with the BJP.