Bharatiya Janata Party leader Pema Khandu was sworn in as the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday, reported All India Radio. Governor BD Mishra administered the oath of office and secrecy to 11 ministers as well.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley congratulated Pema Khandu on Twitter. “I wish him the very best for his future endeavours,” he added.
BJP President Amit Shah also congratulated Khandu and thanked the people of Arunachal Pradesh for their faith in the party. “I am sure that the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and CM Pema Khandu will take the state to newer heights of progress,” he said on Twitter.
Khandu was elected the state BJP legislature party’s leader on Monday. He then met Mishra to stake claim to form the government and handed letter of support by the 41 state BJP MLAs.
Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh were held for 57 seats as three BJP MLAs – Phurpa Tsering from Dirang, Taba Tedir from Yachuli and Kento Jini from Along East – were elected unopposed. The Janata Dal (United) won seven seats, the National People’s Party five, the Congress four and Independents two. The People’s Party of Arunachal managed to win just one seat.
The Congress had won the 2014 elections under the leadership of Nabam Tuki. However, following a political crisis, Khandu took oath as the chief minister in July 2016. On September 16 that year, Khandu, along with 43 MLAs from the ruling party, defected from the Congress to the BJP. Tuki, however, remained with the Congress.
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