Arunachal party extends support to NDA Presidential candidate

Itanagar:  The People's Party of Arunachal (PPA) - which has nine legislators in the state Assembly - on Thursday extended support to National Democratic Alliance Presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind.

"We have decided to support the NDA candidate as we are part of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA)," PPA President Kameng Ringu told IANS after a meeting with Kovind, who had come here to drum up support ahead of the July 17 Presidential election.

NEDA is a conglomeration of non-Congress parties led by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Assam Minister Himata Biswa Sarma is the NEDA Convener.

Kovind, who was accompanied by Union Ministers Raj Narendra Singh Tomar and Kiren Rijiju, Assam Minister Sarma, and BJP leader Ram Madhav, held a meeting with PPA leaders and legislators.

In the 60-member Arunachal Pradesh assembly, the ruling BJP has 47 members, while two are Independents. Former Chief Minister Nabam Tuki is the lone Congress MLA. 

Earlier, addressing BJP legislators in the presence of Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Kovind said his dream is of a developed India and equitable development for all sections of people and regions. 

"Equality among states and people should be the mantra so that the country develops," he said.