All India Mahila Congress general secretary Jarjum Ete resigned from the party’s primary membership on Friday night.

Ete’s resignation came in the wake of the announcement by Congress president Rahul Gandhi making it compulsory for all former chief ministers to contest the Lok Sabha elections. Ete was an aspirant for the Arunachal West Lok Sabha seat.

In her resignation letter to PCC president Takam Sanjoy, Ete, a social activist for more than 30 years, said, “It is very evident the INC team is not in coordination to fight the 2019 parliamentary elections to wrest the seat from the incumbent BJP MP.”

The Congress had on Friday night released its third list of 18 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, though it did not mention the names for the two Arunachal Pradesh seats.

Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, Ete said, “I thought I will get some structural support from the Congress but I don’t know what is the AICC’s policy if it is allowing former chief ministers to contest the Lok Sabha polls. In 2004 and in 2009, I had sought a party ticket either in parliamentary or Assembly polls but I did not get it.”

Maintaining she had no hard feelings for the Congress, Ete said her resignation was solely to fight in the elections. “I don’t have time to wait. In the coming five years, I want to do something for my state.”

She said many parties like the People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) and the National People’s Party (NPP) have approached her and that she met Janata Dal Secular leaders, including its chief and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, on Friday. She said talks are going on with several parties, except the BJP, and she will declare her candidature soon.

She said the people of the state, especially youths, want her to contest independently but this will not be possible considering the unavailability of time to select a proper seat.

Security forces: Arunachal Pradesh has requisitioned for 60 companies of central paramilitary forces for the smooth conduct of Lok Sabha and Assembly elections to be held simultaneously on April 11, officials said. The security personnel will be deployed in 2,202 polling stations spread across 60 Assembly constituencies and two Lok Sabha seats in the state.

The state has 281 vulnerable polling booths and 662 critical polling stations. Seven security personnel will be deployed in each critical booth, officials said.