TOI News Desk
He was elected to lead the BJP Legislative Party in Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday.
Ravi Sankar Prasad and Tarun Chugh, the BJP’s central observers, were present at the meeting. According to PTI sources, Khandu will stake claim to form the government later in the day.
Earlier in the day, a senior BJP leader of Arunachal Pradesh had said that the swearing-in ceremony of the new CM would likely be held on Thursday.
Led by Pema Khandu in Arunachal, BJP emerged victorious in the assembly elections, securing a majority by clinching 46 out of the 60 seats.
The National People’s Party managed to secure five seats, while the Nationalist Congress Party won three seats. The People’s Party of Arunachal secured two seats, and the Congress party won a single seat while three seats were grabbed by independent candidates.
Incumbent CM Pema Khandu has achieved a unique feat in Arunachal Pradesh politics. He has led the state government under the banner of three different political parties, all within a span of just six months.
Khandu began his tenure as the CM on July 17, 2016 as Congress candidiate However, his allegiance shifted when he joined the People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) and took oath as the CM once again on September 16, 2016. Later, he aligned himself with the BJP and was sworn in as the Chief Minister for the third time on December 31, 2016.
(With inputs from agencies)