ITANAGAR: Who is the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh — Nabam Tuki or Kalikho Pul?
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court turned the clock back to December 15 last year to virtually erase six months of the frontier state’s political history and restore Tuki’s Congress government.
But Pul, Tuki’s successor, said on Thursday he is still the CM since he was sworn in after President’s Rule was lifted on February 19 and had also proved his majority in the floor of the assembly that has two members short of the maximum 60.
“Successor is not the right word since the SC judgment implies he should not even be called an ex-chief minister,” Tuki said in state capital Itanagar on Thursday evening.
He said his fight was to see the democratically-elected Congress government back in power and not to be chief minister again.
“I have been reinstated legally, but it is up to the party to decide who should lead the government.”
But his bete noire Pul, camping in Guwahati will all the 30 People’s Party of Arunachal MLAs, insisted the SC verdict “changes a few things” but not his CM status.
“I have no disagreement with the apex court’s ruling against the decisions of the gover nment that led to the advancement of the assembly session (from January 14-16 this year to December 16-18 last year) and the resultant impeachment of speaker Nabam Rebia. I took over as CM only after President’s Rule was lifted; I passed a floor test too. Therefore, I am still the CM,” Pul said from Guwahati.
{{/usCountry}}“I have no disagreement with the apex court’s ruling against the decisions of the gover nment that led to the advancement of the assembly session (from January 14-16 this year to December 16-18 last year) and the resultant impeachment of speaker Nabam Rebia. I took over as CM only after President’s Rule was lifted; I passed a floor test too. Therefore, I am still the CM,” Pul said from Guwahati.
{{/usCountry}}Legal experts said Tathagata Roy, holding charge as governor in JP Rajkhowa’s absence, does not need to ask Pul to resign.
“The SC judgment means the political situation in the state remains what it was before December 15 last year. In effect, Pul did not exist as a chief minister,” one of them said.
But this has confused the average Arunachalee.