Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on November 3 criticized Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the proposed formation of the Arunachal Janta Party, alleging that the new outfit is part of a political strategy to accommodate leaders defecting from the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Sharing a public notice related to the proposed party on social media platform X, Ramesh claimed that the move had been engineered by the “self-styled Chanakya” of Indian politics. He also referred to the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), alleging that it had been revived to serve as a political shelter for former TMC leaders.
According to the notice, the Arunachal Janta Party was established on October 16, 2026, with its headquarters located at Dokum Colony, Akash Deep, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh. The party intends to seek registration from the Election Commission of India under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
The notice also invited objections to the proposed registration, stating that any individual wishing to oppose the move must submit a written objection to the Election Commission at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi by December 3, 2026.
Ramesh used the development to question the growing number of registered unrecognised political parties in the country. He alleged that India currently has 734 such parties and claimed they reported a combined income exceeding ₹1,100 crore during 2024-25.
He further alleged that nearly half of that income was accounted for by 29 registered unrecognised political parties based in Gujarat.
The Congress leader’s remarks come months after the Nationalist Citizens Party of India, a registered unrecognised political party founded in October 2022 and based in West Bengal, joined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Following the Trinamool Congress’s defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections, as many as 20 of its 27 Lok Sabha MPs reportedly left the party, joined the NCPI and extended support to the NDA government.
