Arunachal Congress (AC)

Arunachal Congress (AC) Factsheet
Founded on	September 1996
Founder	Gegong Apang along with 54 other leaders
Prominent leaders of AC	Gegong Apang, Kamen Ringu, Wangcha Rajkumar, Mukut Mithi
President of AC	Kamen Ringu
Party type	State
Philosophy	Regionalist political ideology
Election symbol
Alliance	UPA when the party existed
Party type	State Party

In the history of the Indian National Congress, a lot many splinter-groups separated from the party owing to one reason or another. The Arunachal Congress (AC) was one of the many factions to have separated from the INC. In September 1996, 54 leaders of the state legislative assembly of Arunachal Pradesh, headed by the Chief Minister of that time, Gegong Apang, protested against the policies and activities of the Congress leader P.V. Narasimha Rao. In the same month, they met at Delhi and marked a historic day in the political life of the country, by forming the new party under the name Arunachal Congress. Its political position was centre-right with a regionalist political ideology. The Arunachal Congress joined hands with the BJP and was a founding member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). It brought in a number of political reversals to the state of Arunachal Pradesh. The leader of the Arunachal Congress was Kamen Ringu.

Before the 2009 general elections however, the Election Commission of India de-recognized the Arunachal Congress as a political party, because of its failure to abide by Sections 6 and 6A of the Symbols Order of the Election Manifesto. Owing to the dismal performance of the Arunachal Congress in the 2004 general elections and the 2009 Assembly elections, the party merged with the Indian National Congress in 2009.

Election Symbol And Its Significance

The Election Symbol of the Arunachal Congress was “Two Daos Intersecting”. A dao or a sword, is a symbol of bravery, of a courageous fight or of struggle. The Election Symbol of the AC, before it was de-recognized as a political party, was significant, as it represented the conditions of the people of Arunachal Pradesh. People in the state are tough and hard, and fight for everyday living and sustenance. The Arunachal Congress was symbolic of the struggle of the people of AP, and ensured that their demands were addressed and adhered to. The symbol is thus prominent as it highlights the working-class conditions of the people, and the Arunachal Congress’s significant role in the state.

Leaders of the Arunachal Congress

The leaders of the Arunachal Congress, who were also their national representatives and executives, are the following:

• Gegong Apang - He was the founder of the Arunachal Congress in the capacity of the Chief Minister. He was a member of the legislative assembly of Arunachal Pradesh.
• Kamen Ringu, President of the Arunachal Congress-Ringu replaced Gegong Apang as the leader of the AC and became its President in 1996.
• Wangcha Rajkumar, member of the Arunachal Congress- He was a Member of Lok Sabha representing the East Arunachal constituency in 1996 and 1998 respectively.
• Mukut Mithi- He was initially a member of the Arunachal Congress and an ex-minister, but he separated from AC and formed his own political party by the name Arunachal Congress (Mithi).

Achievements

As a regional political party, the Arunachal Congress had made a number of significant contributions to the political scenario of Arunachal Pradesh, before it became dysfunctional. Some of these are listed below:

• In the 1998 Lok Sabha elections, the Arunachal Congress bagged all the two seats in the Parliament, in alliance with BJP.
• Apang and others of the Arunachal Congress attended to the cause of the people of Arunachal Pradesh. They introduced a number of welfare schemes to benefit the poor of the state. They tried to better the harsh living conditions of the people of the Arunachal Pradesh.

Contact Details

• Head-Office Address of Arunachal Congress when the party was existent- G-Extension, Naharlagun, Arunachal Pradesh.