ITANAGAR, Nov 4: Ahead of the forthcoming Assembly polls, former Arunachal Pradesh minister and senior Congress leader Atum Welly on Saturday joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after quitting the grand old party.
Welly was welcomed to the Saffron party by the State BJP president Biyuram Wahge in presence of senior party leaders, including legislators Nyato Dukam and Kento Jini, general secretaries Ananta Narayan Mishra and Tadar Niglar, and vice-president Junty Singpho, at the BJP head office here.
It may be mentioned here that Welly, who had fought the 2019 Assembly election from the Pakke Kessang seat on a Congress ticket, was defeated by BJP's Wahge by 2042 votes.
The BJP, however, described Atum Welly’s joining as ‘Ghar Wapsi’ (returning home) with the party president exuding conviction that his joining will not only strengthen the party in Pakke Kessang district but in the entire state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Wahge also said that Welly has been in the BJP party for a long time and served as Minister in the Gegong Apang-led BJP Government in the State.
Welly said it is not joining but home coming to the party. “For a while, I left the party but was always connecting with the Sangh Parivar and sharing views with them, and always keeping touch with the BJP party,” he said.
Expressing his loyalty to the BJP leadership and the remarkable performance by the ruling government in the past seven years, he appreciated Chief Minister Pema Khandu “for (bringing) all round development in the state which can be seen by all”.
He also hailed his former rival, Pakke Kessang MLA Biyuram Wahge, and said that he would not contest the 2024 elections but would support the candidature of present MLA for the development of the newly-created district, a press release from the BJP said.