ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday won the floor test in the assembly as 44 Congress legislators and two Independents voted for him.
The 11 Bharatiya Janata Party legislators voted against Khandu. The effective strength of the 60-member Arunachal Pradesh assembly is 58.
Khandu moved the motion for vote of confidence in the government led by him on Wednesday morning. It was seconded by former Chief Minister Nabam Tuki.
The house proceedings were conducted by Deputy Speaker T.N. Thongdok as Speaker Nabam Rebia had resigned on Tuesday night.
Arunachal Pradesh Governor Tathagata Roy had hurriedly convened the session for Wednesday and asked Khandu to prove his government’s majority in the assembly.
Khandu, son of the late former Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, took over as the state’s ninth Chief Minister in a surprise move on Sunday last.
The state plunged into a political ferment after Kalikho Pul upstaged the then Chief Minister Nabam Tuki in February and formed the government in the hill state with support from the rebel legislators of the Congress as well as the Bharatiya Janata Party.
However, the Supreme Court restored the Nabam Tuki government on July 13.
Governor Tathagata Roy reinstated Tuki as the Chief Minister following the apex court’s verdict and asked him to prove his government’s majority in the assembly no later than Saturday.
Arunachal Pradesh’s Congress legislators, however, elected Pema Khandu as their Congress Legislative Party leader on Saturday ahead of Tuki’s floor test, paving way for Khandu to stake claim to form the state government.
