Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki this evening congratulated Pranab Mukherjee for becoming the next President of India. "I congratulate you for becoming the next President," Tuki said in a statement. Tuki, with almost all legislators of the state Legislative Assembly, had met Mukherjee at Guwahati on July 6 last, and had assured absolute majority from the state.

In the election, held on July 19, Mukherjee got 54 votes from the 60-member legislative assembly.

While one Congress MLA Jomin Tayeng could not vote due to ill health, two went in favour of PA Sangma, Mukherjee’s opponent in the race to Raisana Hills. Unfortunately, three of the votes cast were declared invalid.

The 60-member House has 46 Congress MLAs, five each of Trinamool Congress and NCP, 3 from BJP and a lone Independent.

In the Parliament Arunachal accounts for 3 MPs – two in the Lok Sabha and one in Rajya Sabha, all from Congress.