Newly-sworn in Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday proved the majority of his Government in the floor of the Arunachal Pradesh legislative Assembly with 46 members of the House voting in support him, while 11 BJP members voted against the Chief Minister.
Arunachal Pradesh acting Governor Tathagata Roy had convened the Session of the House hurriedly last night and had asked the Chief Minister to prove the majority of his Government.
On Sunday last, 37-year-old Khandu, who is the son of former Chief Minister late Dorjee Khandu, took over as the State’s ninth Chief Minister. The Congress MlAs in the State had on Saturday last elected Khandu as their new Congress legislature Party (ClP) leader in place of former Chief Minister Nabam Tuki and staked claim to form the Government in the State.
The House assembled on Wednesday with Deputy Speaker Tenzing Norbu Thongdok in the Chair and Khandu moved the motion that the House expresses its confidence in the Council of Ministers. The motion was seconded by former Chief Minister Nabam Tuki.
Forty-four Congress MlAs including Kalikho Pul and Nabam Tuki and two Independent members voted in favour of the Government while the eleven BJP legislators voted against the Government.
“The members of my party and the members of the House have given me lots of responsibility. I shall try my best to take the State towards development by taking everyone along. We are going to work as a team and the main focus will be the development of the State in all spheres,” said Khandu.
The new Government is expected to bring in the much needed stability to the State, which had witnessed several dramatic developments and change of three Chief Ministers in last six months. First dissident Congress leaders led by Kalikho Pul toppled the elected Government led by the then Chief Minister Nabam Tuki in February this year.
While Pul formed the Government in February this year unseating Tuki and joined Peoples Party of Arunachal (PPA) later, the Supreme Court earlier this month by a judgment restored the Congress Government in the State led by former CM Nabam Tuki.
However, ahead of the crucial floor test on Saturday last, a ClP meeting elected Pema Khandu as the new ClP leader, who staked claim to form the Government. This also brought back the 30 dissident Congress leaders, who supported Pul and joined the PPP, to the party fold.