Congress' Arunachal list out

The Congress has dropped four ministers of the Arunachal Pradesh Cabinet from its first list of candidates for the October 7 assembly election and preferred to field new faces, including Chief Minister Gegong Apang's son Omak.

The list of 31 candidates for the 60-member House, released in New Delhi on Monday, includes names of 27 members of the dissolved assembly.

The four who have been denied tickets are former power minister Lijum Ronya (Liromoba), former speaker and education minister Tamyo Taga (Rumgong), former health minister Dr T Tapak (Pasighat West) and former labour minister J T Takam (Yachuli).

Ronya, representing Liromoba since 1977, had joined the Congress before Apang defected to it en masse.

He has been dropped in favour of former party Lok Sabha MP Jarbom Gamlin.

While Omak Apang is the candidate for Pasighat West, Likha Maj will contest from Yachuli and Dibang Tatak in Rumgong.

The remaining candidates will be announced in a day or two, sources said.

Apang dissolved the Arunachal assembly on July six. He joined the Congress with all his ministerial colleagues in Delhi late last month.