5 out of 6 Zilla Parishad Members (ZPMs) along with their supporters have merged with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in the Yachuli assembly constituency.
The move, which saw the Lower Subansiri Zilla Parishad Chairperson, Likha Sanchore and 4 other ZPMs, namely Pistana ZPM Likha Tabo, Yazali ZPM Gem Ati, and Param Putu ZPM Khonda Dipung, along with an Independent ZPM, aligning with the NCP, dealt a significant setback to the BJP's electoral prospects in the region.
Additionally, 5 Gram Panchayat Chairpersons and 17 Gram Panchayat members also joined the NCP, further bolstering the party's presence at the grassroots level.
NCP (AP) candidate Toko Tatung, outlined his development priorities for the constituency. “I will raise my voice for your interests to the best of my ability,” he said while promising to fulfill the developmental needs of the people.
He appealed to the new members to strengthen the party activities at the grassroots level.
“Your joining has made us stronger and together we will achieve our goals,” Tatung added.
He assured the newly joined members of his dedication to advocating for their interests and urged them to actively participate in strengthening the party's activities at the grassroots level.
The decision of the ZPMs and their supporters to switch allegiance was attributed to their dissatisfaction with the performance of the incumbent MLA and the BJP's failure to fulfill its promises. Expressing confidence in Tatung's leadership, they voiced hope that he would work towards realizing the aspirations of the people.
Tatung, while expressing disappointment over the opposition's attempt to reject his candidature during the scrutiny process, earlier said “I have nothing to say. I am sad,” he said.
“I always believe in the spirit of democracy, and the biggest festival of democracy should not be stained by such acts,” Tatung added.
After his nomination papers were found to be in order following the scrutiny process, Tatung again appealed to the voters to bless him to work for the people of his constituency for a better future.