Former Arunachal CM Pul's 3rd Wife to Contest Polls

ITANAGAR: Dressed in a black top, her hair parted in the middle, former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister late Kalikho Pul’s third wife Dasanglu Pul stood up and greeted journalists with a namaste like a seasoned politician. On her left sat Pul’s second and first wives as it was announced that she would contest the by-election for the Hayuliang assembly seat.

On August 9, Kalikho Pul, who served as chief minister for a little over four months, had committed suicide, less than a month after the Supreme Court unseated him and reinstated the Congress’ Nabam Tuki.

Even before Pul’s death, much political drama had already unfolded.

In July the Congress had managed to bring 30 dissident MLAs (including Pul) back into its fold with Pema Khandu replacing Tuki as chief minister. However, in September, 43 of its 44 MLAs joined the regional People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA), which is in coalition with the BJP in the North East Democratic Alliance.

Questions had risen about which among Pul’s three wives- Dangwimsai, Vikilu and Dasanglu- would contest the upcoming by-poll scheduled for November 19. While polygamy is a common practice among most tribes in Arunachal Pradesh, another common practice in the electoral politics of the state is that a seat vacated by the death of a sitting MLA is usually succeeded by his wife.

Announcing Dasanglu Pul’s candidature from the BJP ticket, chief minister Pema Khandu today said the decision to nominate her was made by the family itself after due consultations.

There had been speculation that the first two choices- Dangwimsai and Vikilu- had turned down the offer to stand for the election.

Khandu today said that “in politics people do try to instigate others” but that the decision to field Dasanglu was a collective one.

BJP state president Tapir Gao, who was also present at the announcement today, informed that all formalities will be done tomorrow at its party office here. He also appealed to other parties to refrain from fielding any candidates.

“We have maintained a tradition in our state to not field candidates when by-polls are necessitated by a sitting MLA’s death and I would appeal to other parties to uphold that tradition out of respect for late Kalikho Pul,” he said.

Gao added that there “just two years left for the general elections” and that parties should let her win uncontested this time. Elections are actually scheduled for 2019.

The BJP currently has 11 MLAs in the sixty-member house and one senior leader in the state cabinet. Currently there are only two women MLAs, both from the PPA.

While both Khandu and Gao spoke extensively at the brief announcement ceremony today, Dasanglu Pul herself was rather quiet.

Smiling occasionally and nodding her head, she stood up once to greet reporters after her name was announced. After repeated requests that she address reporters, like a true-blue politician she smiled and merely said, “I will talk after the elections”.