In a major political realignment, four MLAs from the National People’s Party (NPP) have switched allegiance to the People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA), significantly altering the power dynamics in the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly. The development comes as a major blow to the Conrad K. Sangma-led NPP, based in Meghalaya.
According to an official bulletin issued by the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, the change in party affiliation was carried out under Rule 4 of the Disqualification on Ground of Defection Rules, 1987. The MLAs formally submitted their declarations of defection through Form-III on May 12, 2025.
The four legislators who have made the switch are Namgey Tsering (2-Tawang), Pesi Jilen (27-Liromoba), Tapi Darang (38-Pasighat East) and Oni Panyang (40-Mariyang-Geku). All four were elected on NPP tickets during the last Assembly elections, held alongside the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The defections have been officially recognised and notified in the state gazette, with Assembly Speaker Tesam Pongte and Secretary Tadar Meena confirming the changes.
The move marks a notable boost for the PPA — Arunachal Pradesh’s oldest regional political party — which had won only two seats in the 2024 elections. With the addition of four defectors, the PPA now holds six seats, making it the second-largest party in the 60-member Assembly after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which commands a clear majority with 46 seats.
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Once labeled a "transit camp" for shifting MLAs, the PPA now appears to be regaining relevance and momentum within the state’s legislative politics. The party is currently led by Nabam Vivek, MLA from the Doimukh constituency.
Among the notable defectors is Namgey Tsering, the newly elected and young legislator from Tawang, whose move to the PPA has drawn considerable attention in political circles. The shift in allegiance is expected to prompt strategic recalibrations among parties ahead of future legislative sessions.
In the previous Assembly election, apart from the BJP's sweeping victory, the NPP had secured five seats, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won two, the Indian National Congress (INC) managed just one and the remaining seats were won by Independents.
This latest round of political reshuffling not only weakens the NPP’s standing in the state but also positions the PPA as a stronger regional force—potentially influencing alliance-building and policy negotiations in the days to come.
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