BJP Leader Pema Khandu Takes Oath As 10th Chief Minister of State

Itanagar: Senior BJP leader Pema Khandu took oath as the tenth Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday.

State Governor Brig (retd) Dr BD Mishra administered the oath of office and secrecy to Khandu at a colossal function organised at the Dorjee Khandu Convention Centre here instead of the Raj Bhawan.

Eleven cabinet ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein were also administered oaths along with Pema Khandu .

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, his deputy Y Patton, Tripura CM Biplab Deb and Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh along with BJP general secretary Ram Madhab (in charge of NE states) were among others who attended the swearing in ceremony.

Six sitting cabinet ministers including Chowna Mein, Wangki Lowang, Honchun Ngandam, Kamlung Mossang, Alo Libang and Bamang Felix have been included in the council of ministers, while deputy speaker of the Assembly Tumke Bagra along with sitting MLAs Mama Natung and Tage Taki find cabinet berths.

Two newcomers – Taba Tedir and Nakap Nalo who, won from Yachuli (uncontested) and Nacho constituencies respectively, were also inducted in the new council of ministers in cabinet rank.

Nalo defeated former Home Minister Tanga Byaling of the Congress. The BJP-led by Khandu won 41 seats in the 60-member Assembly, in the elections held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections on April 11 in the northeastern State bordering China.

While the Opposition Congress which won 42 seats during 2014 consolidated with only four seats, Janata Dal United (JDU) in its maiden entry in the State’s political scene won seven seats. Another new entrant National People’s Party (NPP) bagged five seats.

While one seat went to the lone regional outfit of the state – People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA), two seats were won by independents.

Immediately after the swearing in ceremony, Khandu while talking to reporters thanked the people of the State on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah for voting BJP to power in the Himalayan State.

“It is a historic day for the state as BJP could install a government on its own,” Khandu said and asserted for a clean, transparent and corruption-free government in the State.

On his government’s priority, the Chief Minister announced that the priority areas would be improvement in law and order, health and education sectors.

“Our government will explore every possible avenue to provide employment opportunities to the unemployed youths and will invite outside investors to invest in state’s potential sectors for gainful employment of the local youths,” Pema Khandu added.

Khandu along with his cabinet colleagues will go to New Delhi to attend Modi’s swearing in ceremony.

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