Gegong Apang

{{Infobox officeholder

| image = File:Gegong Apang.jpg

| imagesize =

| name = Gegong Apang

| caption = Geong Apang in 2006 at Development Council

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1949|07|08|df=y}}

| birth_place = Karko village (Upper Siang District)

| residence =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| constituency =

| office = 3rd Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh

| term_start = 4 August 2003

| term_end = 9 April 2007

| predecessor = Mukut Mithi

| successor = Dorjee Khandu

| office1 =

| term_start1 = 18 January 1980

| term_end1 = 19 January 1999

| predecessor1 = Tomo Riba

| successor1 = Mukut Mithi

| office2 =

| term_start2 =

| term_end2 =

| predecessor2 =

| successor2 =

| party = Arunachal Democratic Party

| otherparty = Indian National Congress (upto 1996, 2004 - 14), Arunachal Congress(1996 - 2003), Bharatiya Janata Party

(2003 - 04, 2014 - 19) United Democratic Front (2003) Janata Dal (Secular) (2019-2024)

| spouse = Yadap Apang, late Dipti Apang

| children =

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

Gegong Apang (born 10 January 1947) is an Indian politician from Arunachal Pradesh. He served as the 3rd Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh from 18 January 1980 to 19 January 1999 and again from August 2003 to April 2007. He is a member of the Janata Dal (Secular) and was a member of the Indian National Congress before 2016. Apang is the Arunachal Pradesh's longest serving Chief Minister and also the fourth longest serving Chief Minister of an Indian state after Pawan Kumar Chamling of Sikkim,{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/sikkims-chamling-pips-jyoti-basu-to-become-indias-longest-serving-cm/articleshow/63974368.cms|title=Sikkim's Chamling pips Jyoti Basu to become India's longest serving CM|date=2018-04-30|work=The Economic Times|access-date=2019-03-29}}{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/pawan-chamling-pips-jyoti-basu-as-longest-serving-chief-minister/articleshow/63967698.cms|title=Sikkim's Pawan Chamling pips Jyoti Basu as India's longest-serving chief minister - Times of India|website=The Times of India|access-date=2019-03-29}} Jyoti Basu of West Bengal and Naveen Patnaik of Odisha.

Political career

Gegong Apang started his political career as a member of the Congress Pradesh Council between 1972 and 1975 after passing out from JN College, Pasighat.{{cite news |title=Apang returns to head Arunachal Govt for 21st year |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/apang-returns-to-head-arunachal-govt-for-21st-year/story-isZTN30do39CzyQvkTPaaM.html |access-date=19 February 2021 |work=Hindustan Times |publisher=Hindustan Times |date=16 October 2004 |language=en}} He became the member of the first provisional Assembly between 1975 and 1978 and served as its agriculture minister in 1977. He was also elected to the first Legislative Assembly of the state in the year 1978 and was appointed its PWD and agriculture minister. Apang won the 1978, 1980 and 1984 assembly elections from Yingkiong-Pangin Assembly Constituency.{{cite web |title=Election results |access-date=19 September 2013 |url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/electionanalysis/AE/S02/Old/partycomp19.htm }} Later he won the 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2004 assembly elections from Upper Siang district's Tuting-Yingkiong Assembly Constituency of Arunachal Pradesh.{{cite web |title=Election results |access-date=19 September 2013 |url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/electionanalysis/AE/S02/partycomp34.htm }}

Apang was chosen as Chief Minister for first time on 18 January 1980, after getting elected to the assembly for second time.{{cite news |title=Apang returns to head Arunachal Govt for 21st year |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/apang-returns-to-head-arunachal-govt-for-21st-year/story-isZTN30do39CzyQvkTPaaM.html |access-date=19 February 2021 |publisher=Hindustan Times |date=16 October 2004 |language=en}}

He held the office until 1999, when he resigned, triggered by a no-confidence motion by a split in the Congress Party.{{cite news|title=Apang quits, confidence vote defeated|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19990119/01950175.html|access-date=1 June 2011|newspaper=Indian Express|date=19 January 1999}}{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

He was elected leader of the newly formed United Democratic Front, a coalition of his own political party, the Arunachal Congress and several others, in 2003. Only a few months later, Apang and his supporting MLAs merged with the Bharatiya Janata Party,{{cite news|title=BJP okays Apang's merger proposal|url=http://www.hindu.com/2003/08/25/stories/2003082509030100.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109225530/http://www.hindu.com/2003/08/25/stories/2003082509030100.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 November 2012|access-date=1 June 2011|newspaper=The Hindu|date=25 August 2003}} the first time the BJP had ever ruled a state in north-eastern India.{{cite journal|last=Talukdar|first=Sushanta|title=Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu leads the Congress to an easy victory but finds ministry-making a tough task.|journal=Frontline|date=7–20 November 2009|volume=26|issue=23|url=http://www.hindu.com/fline/fl2623/stories/20091120262302100.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109225601/http://www.hindu.com/fline/fl2623/stories/20091120262302100.htm|archive-date=9 November 2012|df=dmy-all}} A few months after the BJP led National Democratic Alliance lost the 2004 general election, Apang returned to the Indian National Congress.{{cite news|title=Apang back in Cong fold|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2004-08-29/news/27396043_1_gegong-apang-congress-ideology-mithi|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503103836/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2004-08-29/news/27396043_1_gegong-apang-congress-ideology-mithi|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 May 2012|access-date=1 June 2011|newspaper=The Economic Times|date=29 August 2004}} In October 2004, Congress won the majority in state assembly election, making Apang return as the Chief Minister.{{cite news|title=Cong regains Arunachal, Apang likely CM |url=http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?254906 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120711220722/http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?254906 |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 July 2012 |access-date=1 June 2011 |newspaper=Outlook India |date=11 October 2004 }} He was in office as Chief Minister till 9 April 2007, when Congress MLAs revolted against his leadership under Dorjee Khandu, who succeeded him as chief minister and Congress Legislature Party leader.{{cite news|title=Apang steps down, Dorjee Khamdu to be new Arunachal CM|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_apang-steps-down-dorjee-khamdu-to-be-new-arunachal-cm_1089758|access-date=1 June 2011|newspaper=DNA India|date=9 April 2007}} Mr.Apang, out of four terms as Chief Minister, headed Congress Government for three terms and one term from Arunachal Congress, regional party floated by him in 1996, after differences with the then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao over his demand for deportation of the Chakma-Hajong tribals from the tribal state.

Apang resigned from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress on 17 February 2014 (party sources said) and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on 20 February 2014 prior to Indian general election and Arunachal Pradesh legislative assembly election.{{cite news |date=17 May 2014 |title=19 Newcomers Win Arunachal Assembly Poll |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/elections/2014/May/17/19-newcomers-win-arunachal-assembly-poll-613969.html |access-date=20 May 2025 |publisher=The New Indian Express |language=en}} On 15 January 2019 he resigned from primary membership of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by saying that "BJP now platform to seek power.".{{cite news|title=Congress stalwart Gegong Apang joins BJP|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Congress-stalwart-Gegong-Apang-joins-BJP/articleshow/30727186.cms|newspaper=Times Of India|date=20 February 2014}} He joined Janata dal (Secular). {{cite news |title=Arunachal former CM Gegong Apang joins Janata Dal (Secular)|url=https://www.sentinelassam.com/news/arunachal-former-cm-gegong-apang-joins-janata-dal-secular}}

Corruption charges

Apang was arrested on 24 August 2010 for alleged involvement in 1000 crore Public Distribution System scam.{{cite news|title=Gegong Apang held for Rs 1,000 -cr PDS scam|url=http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/gegong-apang-held-for-rs-1000cr-pds-scam/405734/|access-date=1 June 2011|newspaper=Business Standard|date=25 August 2010}} Apang denied the charges and claimed they are politically motivated, though the government under Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu maintained that the investigation was conducted independently without political interference.{{cite news|title=Arunachal govt dismisses Apang's charge of conspiracy|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/arunachal-govt-dismisses-apangs-charge-of-c/672531/|access-date=1 June 2011|newspaper=Indian Express|date=26 August 2010}} The scam allegedly involves fraudulent hill transport subsidy bills that were paid without the required financial oversight while he was the chief minister.

Personal life

Apang was born on January 10, 1947, at Karko village in Upper Siang district. Apang is from Yingkiong, the headquarters of Upper Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh. He has three wives. One of Apang's sons was kidnapped at gun point in June 2008.{{cite news|title=World {{!}} India Little progress in Apang son's kidnap probe|url=http://gulfnews.com/news/world/india/little-progress-in-apang-son-s-kidnap-probe-1.112866|access-date=1 June 2011|newspaper=Gulf News|date=21 June 2008}} Later that month he returned home safely, an unknown person to the Apang family who claimed to be of the same clan of Yadap Apang (Apang's wife) kidnapped him.{{cite news|title=Apang son's kidnapping: uncle arrested|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Apang-son%92s-kidnapping:-uncle-arrested/328430|access-date=1 June 2011|newspaper=Indian Express|date=28 June 2008}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20040830023138/http://www.hindu.com/2004/08/29/stories/2004082905250100.htm Apang returns to Congress]
{{usurped|[https://web.archive.org/web/20070310232817/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2003/08/04/stories/2003080403930100.htm Apang Ministry sworn in]}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20061021153445/http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2017/stories/20030829004603100.htm Frontline - A defection drama]

Category:1949 births

Category:Living people

Category:Chief ministers of Arunachal Pradesh

Category:Chief ministers from Bharatiya Janata Party

Category:India MPs 1998–1999

Category:People from Upper Siang district

Category:People from Yingkiong

Category:Chief ministers from Indian National Congress

Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Arunachal Pradesh

Category:Janata Dal (Secular) politicians

Category:People's Party of Arunachal politicians

Category:Arunachal Congress politicians