Acting Governor of Arunachal Pradesh Tathagata Roy has asked Chief Minister Nabam Tuki to prove his majority in the state Assembly by July 16 and also to convene Assembly proceedings immediately. Assembly proceedings will be videographed, and the voting will be by division.
Tuki took charge as chief minister on Wednesday evening, after the Supreme Court reinstated the Congress government in the state. On Wednesday, the top court bench had directed a status quo ante (a return to the original status) in the state as it prevailed on December 15, 2015, when it was placed under President’s Rule. The party currently has 15 legislators in the 58-member state Assembly.
While hearing a petition filed against a Gauhati High Court verdict regarding Rajkhowa's decision to bring forward the Winter Session of the Assembly without consulting Tuki, the apex court bench led by Justice JS Khehar quashed the discretionary powers of governors to summon or advance House sessions. This verdict is applicable not just to the state, but to the entire country.
With the ruling, dissident Congress leader Kalikho Pul, who was sworn in as the chief minister on February 20, no longer holds the post. The court also said that all orders passed by Rajkhowa after December 9, 2015, are unsustainable.
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