Arunachal Pradesh acting governor Tathagata Roy on Sunday swore in Pema Khandu as the state’s ninth chief minister.
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Tuki resigned owing to internal disputes in the party over his leadership.
On the 2,000-MW Lower Subanisiri Hydro Electric Project (LSHEP) at Gerukamukh, work for which remained suspended for the last several years following protest from anti-dam activists in neighbouring Assam, Khandu emphatically said he would discuss the issue with the Assam government as well as the Centre for a solution. “The two factions of Congress having reunited, I am optimistic about providing a stable government”, Khandu said. After a special session of the Assembly removed him, rebel Congress leader Kalikho Pul had taken charge as Chief Minister with outside support from the BJP.
When elected, Khandu will become the youngest Chief Minister of the State.
The governor, who was at the receiving end of the damning Supreme Court judgment, is reportedly on medical leave.
His name was proposed by Tuki and seconded by Chowna Mein, which was unanimously accepted by all 44 MLAs, except Speaker Nabam Rebia, who did not attend the meeting. The Governor took decisions following the rebellion against him by Congress MLAs and President’s Rule was imposed. On voluntary resignation from the party, they would lose their seat in the house.
The wrangling had led to the toppling of its government and ushering in of a new one headed by Pul with the backing of rebels and outside support of 11BJP MLAs.
After returning from Raj Bhavan, Tuki said: “I have resigned as chief minister in the greater interest of the state and the party”.
The Congress, which had 47 MLAs seats in the 60-member assembly, suffered a jolt when 21 of its lawmakers rebelled. “The people have a lot of expectations from me as I am the son of a former CM”, said Khandu, the youngest son of former CM Dorjee Khandu, who died in an air crash in the state in 2011.
Khandu, 37, accompanied by Tuki, state Congress president Padi Richo and party secretary K. Jayakumar, went to the governor to stake claim. The saffron party was also supporting the regional People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) in here which Pul and 29 other MLAs had joined after rebelling against the Congress.
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Addressing a press conference shortly after he was sworn in, Pema said an expansion of his ministry would take place only after the Governor returned to the state. “But since the Congress is a large family, which may have a tu-tu-main-main among its members once in a while, we will have to find a solution”, he said.
