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New Arunachal CM sworn in
GUWAHATI: Newly- crowned Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu said on Sunday that he would try to complete the unfinished work of his father, former chief
GUWAHATI: Newly- crowned Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu said on Sunday that he would try to complete the unfinished work of his father, former chief minister Dorjee Khandu who died in a helicopter crash in April 2011.
The unfinished work includes 153 big and small hydropower projects, many controversial. Dorjee Khandu ushered in the hydropower era after becoming CM in 2007, attracting developers who paid money upfront to his government. “My father tried his best to develop Arunachal. Many projects initiated during his tenure and later are pending. As a son of a CM, people expect a lot from me and so my priority will be to implement these projects,” Khandu said after his swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan.
Tripura governor Tathagata Roy, standing in for the indisposed JP Rajkhowa, administered the oath of office and secrecy to Khandu at noon. Before the ceremony, old foes Nabam Tuki and Kalikho Pul hugged and exchanged pleasantries. Chowna Mein, who was a key player in the rebellion, was also sworn in as deputy CM. He held the same post in Pul’s rebel Congress government.
BJP SAYS PARTY, GUV STAND VINDICATED
NEW DELHI: Facing Congress attacks for dislodging the government, the BJP on Sunday asserted that Tuki’s exit had vindicated the BJP as well as governor Rajkhowa. “We always said Tuki did not have a majority. The governor took decisions following the rebellion against him by Congress MLAs and President’s Rule was imposed. His resignation proves the BJP right as well as the actions of the governor,” BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.
Sharma said the Supreme Court had come up with two solutions for a similar problem. In Uttarakhand, it had asked CM Harish Raw at to take a floor test as well but restored the previous government in Arunachal. In a sign that the court’s prescription in Arunachal had taken the party by surprise, Sharma said if the SC had asked Tuki to take a floor test, “then the result would have been different ”.
