Pema Khandu government in Arunachal passes floor test

The four-day-old Pema Khandu government in Arunachal Pradesh today passed the floor test in the Assembly with 46 MLAs voting in favour of the Chief Minister and 11 members from opposition BJP voting against it.

Governor Tathagata Roy hurriedly summoned the day-long session of the Assembly late last night asking Khandu to prove his majority on the floor of the House.

When the House assembled in the morning with Deputy Speaker Tenzing Norbu Thongdok in the chair, Chief Minister Pema Khandu moved the motion ‘This house expresses its confidence in the council of ministers’ which was seconded by former Chief Minister Nabam Tuki.

Forty-four Congress MLAs and two Independent members voted in favour of the government.

Later addressing the members, Khandu appreciated them for reposing faith in his leadership and also thanked senior party leaders, including Tuki and Kalikho Pul.

He said his prime duty was to bring equal development for all the communities of the state which was largest in the north-east region with 26 major tribes and over 100 sub-tribes.

Asserting that he would work across party lines, Khandu said all members of the House would be given enough financial power so that they can concentrate on their respective constituencies for development to percolate.

The Chief Minister, while appealing to members not to rake up issues of the past, said he would fix responsibilities on every minister of his Cabinet and those who fail to perform, would face action.

“I will take all the MLAs together as ‘Team Arunachal’ to fulfil the aspirations of the people,” he announced, adding that his priority would be to complete all important schemes.

Khandu was sworn in as the ninth Chief Minister on July 17 after months of political turmoil in the state.

In a dramatic turnaround in this land-locked state on July 16, Congress replaced Tuki by choosing Khandu as the new CLP leader, who staked claim to power on the basis of support of 45 party MLAs along with two Independents.

In fast-changing developments, Khaliko Pul, rebel-turned chief minister, who was unseated by the Supreme Court, returned to the party fold with 30 dissident MLAs.

Hours ahead of a scheduled floor test in the Assembly, which Tuki was directed by the governor to take, the Congress Legislature Party met and elected Pema, son of late chief minister Dorjee Khandu, as its new leader.

Tuki proposed the name of Khandu while Chowna Mein, sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister, seconded it, which was unanimously accepted by 44 MLAs who were present.

In the 60-member House with an effective strength of 58, Congress now claims the support of 47 MLAs, including two Independents, while opposition BJP has 11 members.