New jolt to BJP: Ex Arunachal MP quits party, to join Cong

The jolt to the BJP unit of the north eastern state came at a time when the party was facing dissensions in Rajasthan and the central leadership was grappling with serious problems at the national level.

38-year-old Rijiju, who resigned from the primary membership of the party, today blamed BJP for not understanding the actual problems faced by the people of the state.

"I needed a platform from which I can serve my best. Somehow the BJP leadership could not understand my feelings and they could not understand the actual problems faced by the people of Arunachal Pradesh," he told PTI.

Rijiju said the state BJP executive had unanimously passed a resolution that he would be the chief ministerial candidate for the October polls, but "I realised that Congress seems to be in a better position to serve Arunachal Pradesh, which is such an important and sensitive state."

Asked if he has formally joined the Congress, Rijiju said, "It is not yet joining as such. In principle they (Congress) have agreed. The main thing is that I have resigned from the BJP."