Guwahati/Itanagar, October 14: The BJP became a part of the Arunachal Pradesh government with its senior leader Tamiyo Taga was sworn in as a minister in Chief Minister Pema Khandua’s cabinet on Friday.
Governor V. Shanmuganathan administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new minister in an impressive function at the Darbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan in Itanagar, attended by Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues.
While Taga was accommodated in the cabinet, state Industry and Textiles Minister Tapang Taloh was dropped from the cabinet.
Khandu, during his recent visit to New Delhi, met BJP national president Amit Shah and appealed him for BJP’s participation in the government for the sake of development. BJP was only supporting the Peoples’ Party of Arunachal (PPA) government in the state from outside.
Khandu, son of former Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, became the state’s Chief Minister almost dramatically after the Congress chose him as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) replacing Nabam Tuki in July this year.
The development took place after a Supreme Court verdict reinstated the Tuki led Congress government in the state. However, the Congress Legislature Party elected Khandu as its leader in place of Tuki just ahead of Tuki’s floor test in the House.
The dissident faction of the Congress led by Kalikho Pul also backed Khandu and returned to Congress fold. On July 17, Khandu was sworn in as Chief Minister, with Chowna Mein as his deputy and proved his majority on July 20.
However, on September 16, Khandu and 42 lawmakers walked out of the Congress and joined the PPA.
